One Night
by McBrideReedusLover
Summary: One night changed everything. Caryl fic. Set a few months after the Woodbury residents were brought to the prison. Slightly AU. T for language and suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**One Night**

**Chapter 1**

_**A/N: I am seriously stuck on A Secret right now, and I've had this idea for this fic for a long time! I also have an idea for my next next story! This one however, is set in The Walking Dead world. So there are walkers, yay! How the dead have been missed. Anyway, this story is as the description says. One night changed it all. I really hope you enjoy this fic, and I hope I enjoy writing it hehe. If you're reading this, thank you for reading it! And I hope you have fun on this journey.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol brought the machete down on the walker, splitting it's head right down the center. She pulled the blade out and watched it drop to the floor. She heard the moans of another walker coming from behind her. She turned around and it was a lot closer than she thought. She thought she was a goner, when suddenly she saw the head of an arrow go through its forehead. It dropped to the floor, and there was Daryl, lowering his crossbow as he stood a few feet away from her. He nodded to her, and went to search the store for more. Carol looked down at her machete, which was covered in the thick, black blood from the walkers head. She flung the machete away from her, and the blood splattered onto the floor. As quietly as she could, she made her way through the different isles, looking for anything salvageable to take back to the group. Most of the stuff was expired, but she managed to find a few cans still good. She stepped over a walkers body to get to the next isle. She assumed it was dead, but she was wrong. It grabbed her leg, catching her by surprise. She fell to the floor, dropping the cans, and her machete. It was just out of reach. She didn't know where Daryl was, and she didn't want to scream for help in case there were more. She used her other foot to kick it, trying to get herself free. It kept a strong grip on her, trying to bite her flesh. No way was she going to die, not today. She repeatedly kicked it, hoping the walker would loosen its grip long enough for her to get free and grab her machete. Just as its teeth were about to sink into her flesh, something yanked it off. She looked up to see Daryl smashing the walkers head repeatedly against the shelf beside them. She quickly grabbed her machete and the few cans she had dropped. When he finally threw the lifeless walker to the ground, he immediately ran over to her.

"My god, are ya alright? Did it bite ya?" He asked, a worried expression on his blood splattered face.

"No, it didn't bite me." Carol let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Did it scratch ya? Anythin' like that?" It was clear he was worried about her, and it made her want to smile.

"No, I'm fine Daryl." She stated.

"Well why didn't ya call for me or somethin'? Ya lucky I heard you fall, otherwise I wouldn't 'ave known. Ya could've been bit." His worried expression changed to anger.

"I didn't want to scream, what if there were other walkers around? They would've heard it, and I would've for sure gotten bit." She argued. "I tried to be smart about it." Carol took a step back from him. "Now lets just gather whatever supplies we can before any more of them come." She didn't want to argue with him, not here. She was fine, that's all that mattered.

"Stubborn woman." Daryl muttered, and pushed past her. It was a good thing he heard her fall, or he could've lost her. He couldn't deal with that. He already lost one person he cared about, he didn't need to lose another. He had never forgot Merle's death, it was always with him, but he had to move on, for the sake of the group. They needed him, and he needed them. Over the months, he had grown closer to Carol, and he began to care for her more than he did the others, not that he'd ever admit something like that. He decided not to think about that anymore, and focus on the task at hand. There wasn't much they could take, because most of it had gone bad. It looked like they would go back to the group empty handed.

"Daryl!" Carol called out to him. She stood infront of a closed door. She had tried to open it, but had no luck. She figured something was blocking it on the other side. It was a storage room. She figured maybe there was some stuff in there they could take. It was worth a try.

"What is it?" Daryl asked as he came up beside her. "Ya find somethin'?"

"Maybe." Carol replied. "This was a storage room. But it's blocked from the other side. There could be some food that hasn't gone bad."

"Well, c'mon then." Daryl leaned up against the door. "We can try to push it open."

Carol nodded, and copied his position. "One. Two. Three." And they pushed on the door with all the force they had. Nothing. "Damn." She cursed under her breath.

"Step back." Daryl said. She obeyed and backed away from the door. Daryl backed up and bit before kicking the door hard. He had managed to bust it open that way.

"Good one." She walked into the room, and stared in amazement. "Daryl... Look..." She was in awe at the sight.

"What? Somethin' good?" He asked, walking into the room with her. His eyes widened. "Holy fuck." He said quietly. "We hit the fuckin' jackpot!" Infront of them, were unopened cases of bottled water. Fresh, untouched bottled water. "Nice find Carol." Daryl patted her on the shoulder before walking over to the cases. "Jesus... This is almost unreal."

"I can't believe it." She smiled, appearing beside him. "Looks like this place was good for something afterall!" Carol estimated that there was around ten cases, each having nine bottles of water. "There has to be atleast ninety bottles of watter here." What a find.

"Damn, the group is gonna be pretty damn happy 'bout us findin' this." Daryl grabbed a case. "Ya think there are any shoppin' carts 'round here? We can haul more that way."

"I'll go look." Carol left the room in search of a cart. She didn't find any in the small store, but she saw some outside in the abandoned parking lot. She tightened her grip on the machete as she exited the store. She didn't see any walkers, but she still kept her guard up. She grabbed two carts, and pushed them back into the store, and into the storage room. "I found two." She said as she entered the room.

"That should do." He put the one case in the cart. "Can put five in each." Carol nodded, and helped him load the carts. She also put the few cans of food she had found in the store in the carts. "Alright, now we gotta hurry and load these into the truck. Gotta be fast, and gotta be quiet. I'll load them into the truck while you watch my back, got it?"

"Got it." Carol smiled, and they pushed the carts out into the parking lot. Once they got to Daryl's truck, Carol moved out of the way and scanned the lot. No walkers so far, but she wasn't about to let her guard down just yet. She heard a couple moans coming from the front of the truck. She saw two walkers, their arms in front of them, ready to grab them at any moment. Carol made her way around the truck, and swung the machete, lodging it into the first walkers brain. She kicked it away, and went after the second one. It only took a couple seconds to get rid of them, and she was thankful for that. By the time she killed the walkers, Daryl had finished loading the truck.

"Let's get the fuck out of here." He growled, getting into the truck. Carol opened the door and got in the truck. Daryl sped off, leaving the corpses behind.

* * *

"They're back." Rick turned around as Michonne entered the room. "Looks like they might've found something." Rick nodded, and followed Michonne out of the house. They had left the prison a few weeks ago, and had been travelling around, looking for another place they could call home. Another place that was safe. The prison had gotten so crowded after they brought the people from Woodbury over. They didn't completely abandon them however. Tyreese and Sasha had stayed back, and Rick respected that. They loaded up enough supplies to keep them going for a little while, and left the prison behind. A few weeks later, they stumbled on this little town. It was completely abandoned, not that it would have been very lively before the apocalypse. That didn't mean there weren't walkers. They had found a nice house with a fenced in yard. Rick figured they could fortify it and make it their own. They hadn't been there very long, only a day now. But not many walkers had come around, only two so far. Rick found that to be a good sign. The house was a good size. There were four bedrooms. One for Maggie and Glenn, one for him, Carl and the baby, one for Hershel and Beth, and one for Daryl and Carol. Michonne had decided to take the living room, since she didn't feel like sharing a room with anyone. Rick understood that. She'd never be close to anyone but Andrea. They missed her dearly, but Michonne the most. They had lost a lot of people since they went to that prison. Rick just figured it wasn't safe there anymore, what with The Governor still on the loose somewhere. If they left, he wouldn't be able to find them, since no one knew where they were going. There were some advantages to wandering around in this world, no one finding them was one.

"Alright, did you guys find anything good?" Rick asked as he walked up to the pair.

"Why don't ya see for yourself." Daryl moved out of Rick's way so he could see the truck. "I'd say we did good."

"My god." Rick stared. "All that water... It was just there in the store?"

"It was behind a door that was blocked. I figured someone was hiding out in that storage room, and thats why it was blocked." Carol spoke up.

"Were there any walkers?" Rick picked up a case of water.

"There were a few, couple close calls, but we made it." Daryl took a case as well.

"Well, as long as you made it out. Thats what matters." Rick started walking back to the house, Daryl following behind him. Carol and Michonne both grabbed a case, and headed into the house as well.

"Wow, you actually found all that water?" Beth came out of her room when she heard the others walk in.

"That we did Beth." Carol smiled.

"That's great!" Beth grinned. "Now we have some fresh water for Judith's formula."

"Exactly." Carol nodded. "How is little Judith anyway?" Beth motioned for Carol to follow. Carol walked into Beth's room, where Judith was playing with a rattle. "Aw, hi Judith." Carol knelt down beside her. "How's my favorite little baby?" Judith responded with a giggle and reaching for Carol. She chuckled and picked the baby up. "That's my girl." She smiled as the baby tugged on her shirt. "You wanna go see your dad? Yeah does that sound good?" Carol walked out of the room. Daryl was leaning against the wall, and Rick was speaking with him and Glenn.

"So I figure tomorrow, we'll head out to the old mall on the other side of town. We might have more luck with food over there." Rick explained to the two men.

"Sounds good to me." Daryl nodded.

"Good. I'll tell Michonne about it too. That way we can split up, two and two to cover more ground." Rick was about to walk away, when Glenn spoke up.

"Shouldn't one of us stay here? I mean, someone has to watch the group."

"We got Carol here." Daryl said. "She's gotten real good at defendin' herself over the past year. She's strong, and she's smart. She can handle it. Also got Maggie here."

"But Maggie's leg is still hurting." Glenn sighed. "She may be getting better, but she still isn't fit to go on runs or fight." On the road, during a run, Maggie had tripped while trying to escape a walker. Heshel determined it was just a sprain, and it would heal itself eventually. But she wasn't allowed to go on any runs until it was fully healed.

"Like I said, we got Carol." Daryl knew for a fact Carol would make damn sure this group was safe in their absence. She knew how to fight off walkers. She would keep everyone safe.

"Daryl is right. Carol is strong and I trust her." Rick stated. "It's settled then." And with that, Rick walked off to tell Michonne. Glenn sighed, and headed off to his room where Maggie was.

"Standing up for me huh?" Carol smiled as she walked up to him. She had heard the whole conversation, especially the part where Daryl defended her.

Daryl turned to look at her. "You're a damn good fighter. I know ya can keep them safe." Daryl said, and moved so he was standing infront of her. "Hows asskicker?" He asked, a small smirk on his face.

"She's fine." Carol smiled. "You want to hold her?"

"I'm good." Daryl shook his head. "Gotta go help Rick with makin' the fence stronger anyway."

"Good luck with that." Carol watched as he walked away. She looked back at Judith, who let out a yawn. "Aw, getting sleepy are we?" She said quietly. "Lets go have a nap." She took Judith up to Rick's room, and set her down in the crib. "Have a good sleep asskicker." She chuckled, and walked out of the room. She had dinner to make.

_**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of One Night! I sure enjoyed writing it! It's exciting! I've missed the threat of walkers! Please, R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	2. Chapter 2

**One Night**

**Chapter 2**

_**A/N: I really appreciate the reviews on the first chapter. Means a lot to me that people like my stories! :)  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl sat outside on the small front porch, keeping an eye out for any walkers. It was his turn at watch while everyone else was inside. He liked being alone. It gave him time to think. Tomorrow they were getting up earlier than normal to go to the mall on the other end of town. They didn't know what was there. For all they knew, there could be a huge herd of walkers. Hopefully, that wasn't the case. They all had something to come back to, well, most of them. He felt bad for Michonne, really. He knew how it felt to lose family, and Andrea was like family to her. Glenn had Maggie to come back to, Rick had Carl and Judith to come back to, and him, he had Carol to come back to. He knew that the last time he didn't come back, he had hurt her. It killed him to do that to her, but he had just gotten Merle back, he didn't want to lose him. But the more time he had spent with Merle, the more he realized he needed his other family too. He needed her. Her face had haunted his mind all night. That's why he went back. Sure, he said it was because they were his family, but he really went back for her. She was the only one who really cared about him. She went out of her way to bring him back when they were at Hershel's farm. He figured when he yelled at her, she would just leave him alone. But she didn't. She came back. That's when he knew she really did care.

"Hey." Daryl moved his gaze from the fence to the voice. There was Carol, standing beside him, holding out a plate of food. "I brought you some dinner." She gave him a small smile. "You haven't changed Dixon, you won't eat unless I bring it to you."

"Thanks." He mumbled, taking the plate from her. That was just more proof that she really cared.

"So," Carol sat down on the chair beside him. "Anything?"

"Been quiet 'round here since we got here." Daryl said, taking a bite of the meat. It was a good thing he had hunted before they settled in.

"Yeah, it really has. I suppose thats a good thing." Carol chuckled.

"Wait," Daryl looked over at her. "Did ya eat anythin'?" She was looking a little thin lately. She hadn't gotten much food, and when she did get enough food, she would give the majority of her share to the kids.

"No, I figured Carl and Beth needed it more than I did. Beth is looking a little thin after all." She kept her gaze on the fence. She could already tell he was glaring at her.

"Carol, ya gotta eat. Ya gonna die if ya don't get enough food." He handed her the plate. "Eat."

"No, Daryl, you need it." Carol shook her head.

"Like hell I do. Carol look at ya, ya like a twig. Now eat it." He wouldn't take no for an answer. She needed to eat. It wasn't good for her to skip what little food they had.

Carol sighed, and took the plate from him. "I'm only taking a few bites." She said, and did just that. She left about half of the food on the plate for him. "There, eat the rest." She handed it back to him. "I have to go give Judith her bottle." Carol stood up, and walked back into the house. She took a bottle of water and put the right amount in the baby bottle. She mixed the formula, and went upstairs to get Judith. There she was, sitting up in her crib. "Hey sweetie." Carol smiled, picking the baby up. She sat down on the bed, and gave the bottle to Judith, who drank it happily. In five minutes, she was down the bottle. "Was that yummy?" Carol placed the bottle on the little table. Judith just reached up at Carol, poking her face with her tiny fingers. Carol laughed, and got up to go downstairs. Everyone was in the living room, talking about different things. Most of it was memories, happy ones about the days before the apocalypse. It was nice to see everyone smiling.

Rick laughed, and then looked up as Carol walked in with Judith. "There is my baby." He grinned, walking over to Carol. "Is she being good?"

"She's perfect." Carol smiled, and handed Judith over to Rick. "I just fed her, so she'll probably get sleepy again soon."

"Alright, thanks Carol." Rick smiled back at her. "Would you go tell Daryl his shift is over? Carl wants to be a big man and take over by himself. Figured I'd give him a shot."

"Sure." Carol nodded, and walked back outside. Daryl was still sitting there, his eyes on the fence. "Hey Daryl." She stood beside him. He didn't respond, only looked up at her, waiting for her to speak. "Rick said Carl wants to try watch by himself. So you're shift is done for today."

"Fine by me." Daryl stood up. "Pretty borin' out here anyway."

"Why don't you join us all in the living room? They're telling stories about the good old days." Carol gave him a small smile.

"Nah, think I'll just head up to the room and turn in for the night. Gettin' up early tomorrow ya know."

"Don't you always get up early?" Carol chuckled, opening the door.

"I mean earlier than usual woman." Daryl walked inside. "Goin' on that run tomorrow, ya gonna be here all by yourself. Looks like Beth will have to take care of the chores or whatever ya do, cause you'll be doin' watch 'till we get back."

"I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." Carol smiled, following him up the stairs. "It's me who has to worry about you... guys. You guys." She quickly covered up what she meant. She didn't want things to be awkward. "I mean, you're all going to the other side of town, don't know whats over there." She sat down on the bed. Daryl had made her take the bed, while he slept on the floor. The bed was big enough for both of them, but she understood he wouldn't want to sleep too close to her.

"Gonna be four of us there, should be able to handle it." Daryl shrugged, placing his crossbow in the corner. He knew that if it was too bad, Rick would turn around. He wouldn't risk it. Besides, Daryl wanted to come back. "Need the supplies ya know."

"I know." Carol sighed. "We just can't deal with any more deaths." They had already lost a lot of people. T-Dog, Lori, Axel, Oscar, Andrea, Merle. That was just in the last few months at the prison. "Just, promise me you will all make it back safe and unharmed."

Daryl sighed. "Ya know I can't make that promise Carol. But I can make damn sure we all atleast make it back alive."

Carol looked down at her hands. "Okay." She stood up. She was going to go join the others for a bit before going to bed. "Why don't you take the bed Daryl. You need the sleep. I'll take the floor this time."

"No." Daryl shook his head. "Bed is yours, floor is mine." Carol didn't feel like fighting with him again over a pointless subject, so she just shrugged.

"Oh, and Daryl?" She stopped at the door. He looked up at her. "Stay safe."

* * *

Carol awoke to the sound of someone trying to sneak around. It took a bit for her eyes to adjust to the darkness that filled the room. "Daryl?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"Yeah?" He grabbed his crossbow.

"Are you leaving now?" She sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes.

"Mhm." Daryl nodded. "Sorry, but ya gotta get up now sleepy head."

Carol sighed. "Fine." She pulled the covers off of her. "But it was so warm..." She sighed. The winter months were coming, and the temperatures were slowly dropped each day. "Just a little longer."

"No Carol." Daryl shook his head, a small smirk on his face. "Up."

Carol groaned, and stood up. "I hate you." She nudged him as she walked by.

"Sure ya do." Daryl followed her out of the room. When they went into the living room, Rick, Glenn and Michonne were already waiting. All three of them were staring at him and Carol. "What?" He growled.

"Nothing." Rick chuckled. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah." Daryl nodded.

"Rick, we need new clothes for everyone, especially Judith. She's growing out of her clothes pretty quickly, we're down to only two outfits." Carol spoke up. "While you're at the mall you should look for some clothes. Just bring back whatever you find."

"Will do Carol." Rick nodded. "Alright, let's get a move on."

"See you when you get back." Carol smiled up at Daryl.

"Thought ya hated me." Daryl smirked.

"Oh don't worry Dixon, I do." She playfully shoved him out of the way, and walked outside. She sat down on the chair, ready for her long watch duty. Daryl nodded to her before catching up with the others. Within a few moments, they were off. Hopefully, nothing went wrong.

* * *

"Alright, Daryl and Glenn, you take the right side of the mall, me and Michonne will take the left side. We'll meet up here alright. If you can, save the bullets." Rick stated. They all agreed, and set off to their assigned areas. "We'll go to the end, and work our way back." Rick told Michonne as they ran to the store at the end. It was a baby store. "You grab the formula, I'll get the clothes and diapers." Michonne quickly set off to find the formula, while Rick searched for baby clothes that would fit Judith. He found a couple of outfits that were big, she would definately grow into them. Now to find the diapers. He saw them at the back of the store. That wasn't the only thing he saw. He also saw a walker wandering aimlessly. By the looks of things, she used to work here. It hadn't noticed him yet, which was good. Gripping his knife tightly, he lowered himself and crept towards the walker. Just as it turned around, he jammed the blade into its skull. Rick pulled the knife out, and the walker fell to the floor, its black blood slowly spilling out of the crack in its head. "Goodnight." He muttered, and grabbed a couple packages of diapers.

* * *

"Hey Carol." Carl stepped outside. "Beth told me to give you this." He handed her the plate of eggs. Beth just made breakfast, and Carol was out on watch still. She would be for the next few hours.

"Thanks Carl." Carol smiled at him and took the plate. She was awful hungry.

"So, how is it out here? Still quiet?" He asked.

"Still quiet." Carol nodded, taking a few bites. "How is Maggie doing?"

"Maggie is alright. She's walking around more." Carl said. "Well, I'm going to go back inside and help Beth." He smiled, and disappeared back inside. Carol chuckled. She thought it was cute how Carl liked Beth so much. She was glad he found someone to spend his time with, much like she did. God, she hoped nothing bad was happening. She couldn't stand to lose Daryl again. When she thought she lost him the first time, it broke her heart, but she only let it show for a moment. She rebuilt that wall, and pretended she accepted and was okay with his decision. But she really wasn't. It took all her strength not to run up and hug him when he came back. She sighed, he would come back. He promised he'd come back.

* * *

"Shit." Daryl reloaded his crossbow. They were in a store, it was clear. No walkers. While they were gathering supplies, a herd of walkers came out of no where. "The fuck we do now?" He asked Glenn quietly.

"Uhm... We try to get past them?" Glenn had no idea what to do right now. "I don't think we can take them all without using the guns."

Daryl sighed in frustration. "Fuckin' hell." He growled, and pulled out his pistol. "We won't make it doin' this quietly." He fired a shot at the closet walker. Glenn cursed, and followed his actions.

* * *

"They're in trouble." Rick stated as he and Michonne met up outside the store. "Let's go." Rick and Michonne sprinted to the other end of the store. They saw the walkers heading into one store. "We need to create a distraction." Rick shouted, getting some of the walkers attention. They started making their way over to them. Rick shot one of them. Michonne took out both her katana's, and started slicing through the walkers heads two at a time. It didn't take long to cut through the herd. Rick saw Daryl and Glenn at the back of the store, fighting off the walkers. "Come on!" He said, and aimed for the walkers at the back.

* * *

Daryl ran out of bullets, and he didn't have time to reload. It was time to take action. He grabbed his knife, and slammed it down into the closest walkers skull. Another one was close behind. He pulled out the blade, and went for the next one. Glenn watched Daryl's back, shooting a walker when it got too close. He didn't have many bullets left either. "Daryl, look!" Glenn pointed out Rick and Michonne who had just entered the store.

"Thank jesus." Daryl muttered, and drove the blade into yet another walkers skull. He had to keep going and fighting his hardest. He had to get back to her. He promised they'd all make it back. The thought of her crying if he didn't show up just fueled his fight further. No way in hell he'd let the walkers win.

Rick watched as Daryl took out nearly every walker in the room with his knife. He had a determination in his eyes. He didn't know what made him so determined, though he had an idea. If he ever brought it up, he'd surely get killed by the redneck.

"Jesus Daryl..." Glenn was shocked.

"What? Had to be done." Daryl said. His breathing was heavy after that. He was sweating, and his hair was sticking to his forehead. "Now lets get what we need and get the fuck outta this place." Daryl pushed past everyone, and went to grab more supplies.

"Well then." Rick chuckled.

"Why did he suddenly go crazy like that?" Glenn asked, stepping over all the corpses that littered the floor.

"I think it might have something to do with what's waiting for him back at the house." Rick smiled, watching Daryl stomp through the store across from them.

"What's waiting for him back home?" Glenn was clueless at the moment.

Rick just shook his head. "A certain woman. Does that help?"

Glenn stood there, thinking for a long time. Rick couldn't believe he was that stupid right now. "Oh! You mean Carol!" Glenn nodded. "Got it."

"Wow." Michonne said before walking out of the store.

"What?" Glenn asked, looking over at Rick.

"She said wow because she couldn't believe how stupid you were just then." Rick explained, walking away as well.

"Oh." Glenn nodded. "Hey wait a minute!" He said, and hurried after them.

_**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**One Night**

**Chapter 3**

_**A/N: I'm glad you guys like this story so far! It really means a lot to me, seriously! I read every review! Anyway, enjoy chapter 3! :)  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"You look worried Carol." Carol looked back as Hershel made his way out the door. "What's bothering you?"

"They should have been back by now, that's all." Carol sighed. They should have been back a while ago, but they weren't. What if something had gone wrong? What if someone was hurt? What if Daryl was hurt? Oh god, what if he got bit trying to save someone? He would risk his life to save the group. "I hope nothing happened to them..." She whispered.

"I'm sure they're fine Carol." Hershel smiled. "Rick knows what he's doing." He knew that's not why she was worried, or who she was worried about. "And as for Daryl, well he's strong and quick. He can easily escape a walker. You don't have anything to worry about." He looked out at the setting sun. "Besides, he'll always come back for you." Hershel winked, and then made his way back inside. Carol watched his retreating form. Why did everyone assume he was here for her? Sure, she'd love to believe that, but it wasn't true. He cared for her, but not like that, right? The feelings were one-sided. They may have flirted a little, or maybe a lot, but it was just the way their relationship was. It didn't mean anything.

"You're worried, aren't you?" Maggie came out of the house.

"A little..." Carol admitted.

"About Daryl right?" Maggie smiled.

"Why do you say that?" Carol asked, glancing up at the girl.

"Everyone knows you two are a thing." Maggie chuckled, and sat down on the chair beside her. "I mean, it's pretty obvious."

"Me and Daryl are not a thing. We're friends." Carol shook her head. "We're not like you and Glenn at all. And we will never be."

"You say that now. That's what I thought about Glenn at first." Maggie laughed. "We went on that run to the pharmacy, and no one ever knew that me and him..." She shook her head with a smile as she remembered that day. "Anyway, I thought it was a one time thing at first. But then I realized I really did like him. I'm sure you're already realized you like Daryl, am I right?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know Maggie." Carol sighed. "I mean... I guess but... The feelings would be one-sided, I don't know what to think anymore."

"Carol just make a move." Maggie laughed. "I mean, that's what I did."

"It's different for you two though. You're both young. I'm... Well I'm not." Carol did a quick sweep of the fence, nothing. She returned her gaze to Maggie. "If I ever made a move, it would ruin the friendship I have with him. I don't want that."

"You really want me to change the subject don't you." Maggie could just tell by the way Carol acted.

"Yeah." She smiled. "A little bit."

"Well, I understand your worry. I'm worried too." Maggie looked to the fence.

"You have every reason to be Maggie." Carol did the same. She wished they would just get back. This worrying wasn't fun. Just then, a green car pulled up. They were back. 'Please don't be hurt.' She though as she stood up. "We don't speak of this to anyone..." She looked back at Maggie.

"Deal." Maggie chuckled, and hurried down the porch steps as fast as she could. Glenn was opening the fence for Rick, who was carrying supplies for the baby. "Thank god you're not hurt!" Maggie breathed, wrapping her arms around him. "I was so worried." She gave him a small kiss.

Carol walked up behind Maggie. Where was Daryl? She did not want another repeat of the last time she didn't see him. That same sick feeling was in her stomach. "What ya lookin' for?" A voice said from behind her. She turned around to see Daryl standing there, a little confused. She noticed that he was covered in blood.

"Oh god, what happened? Are you hurt? You didn't get bit did you?" Carol asked, her chest tightening.

"Course I didn't get bit." Daryl said. "I'm fine. Nothin' happened."

"You call a herd of walkers who almost killed us nothing?!" Glenn asked, frustrated. Daryl made a motion, signalling him to shut up, but it obviously failed. Now Carol was going to be all worried, and he didn't want that.

"What?!" Carol turned to him. "You almost got killed?" What if he had have gotten killed? That would've destroyed her.

"He's exageratin'. We're fine. I killed 'em." Daryl tried to reassure her.

"You killed them? By yourself? Oh god you were alone?" Carol just got more and more worried.

"Nah, Glenn was there. I killed most of 'em." Daryl walked around to the trunk of the car. "Got the clothes ya wanted." He said, handing her a pile.

Carol sighed, and took the clothes. "I could've lost you Daryl..." She whispered, walking away.

Daryl watched as she walked away, into the house. He looked down at his hand, which was holding a cherokee rose brooch. He found it on the counter in the clothing store, and he had to take it. There was no way he couldn't.

"Is that for Carol?" Daryl jumped slightly, and turned to see Maggie standing behind him. Damn girl.

"What's it to you?" Daryl growled, shoving the brooch in his pocket. It was none of her damn buisness what or who it was for.

"You should give it to her in private. Because, you know, you wouldn't want to cause a scene and make people think you have emotion, right?" Maggie had to stop herself from giggling.

"Fuck off." Daryl muttered, grabbing the remaining clothing pile. He didn't want to admit it, but she had a point. If he gave it to her in public, everyone would think he had feelings for her or something. He didn't need them thinking that, regardless of it being true. If they ever decided to have a relationship, he sure as hell didn't want the others to know about. Atleast not for a long time. He didn't need people trying to get information on how things were going. And he sure as hell didn't need the girls all over him for information. God knows they'd be all up in their buisness. So he would give her the brooch in private. But not right now. It wasn't the right time. But when would be the right time? He'd just have to wait and see.

* * *

"Where ya goin'?" Daryl asked. He was half way up the stairs when Carol started coming down with a basket of clothes.

"To wash these clothes." Carol said.

"You've been sittin' outside all day. Why don't ya take a break?" Daryl didn't understand her sometimes. She worked herself to exhaustion. She was on watch all day, she took the time to cook the four of them something to eat, she fed and put Judith to sleep, and now she was going to wash the clothes? Hell no, that shit could wait until tomorrow.

"It needs to be done Daryl." Carol made her way past him and turned the corner. Damn it. He turned around and followed her outside. She had a bucket of water in the middle of the yard, and a chair from the porch set up behind it.

"Fuckin' hell woman." Daryl growled. "That can wait. Don't need to be done right now. Ya need sleep."

"I'm fine Daryl." Carol sat down on the chair.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, and grabbed the basket before she had a chance to grab the clothes. "It can wait." He said, and started walking away. He heard her groan in frustration, and he could tell she was following him. He wasn't going to stop until he was back in their room. He opened the door, and headed up the stairs. A few seconds later, he heard someone coming up the stairs. He set the basket of clothes against the wall, and sat down on his little makeshift bed on the floor.

"Daryl come on." Carol entered the room, frustration clear on her face.

"No." Daryl shook his head. "Ya gotta sleep. I don't want ya passin' out on me."

Carol crossed her arms. He was stubborn. Then again, so was she. "Daryl please."

"No." He responded, glaring up at her.

Carol sighed and walked over to him. She knelt down beside him. "Please Daryl... I want to get it done and over with..." She gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"Do ya not understand the meanin' of no?" Daryl asked, staring into her eyes. She had really pretty eyes... No, focus.

"But..." Carol pouted, placing a hand on his arm. The touch was electrifying.

"No." Daryl laid back, and rested his head on the pillow. "Just sleep."

"I hate you." Carol muttered, standing up.

"No ya don't." He smirked a little, watching her sit down on the bed. "Ya know ya love me." Oh, shit. That's not what he meant.

Carol felt herself blush. "You're wrong." She said, looking down at the floor.

"Look, are ya gonna wait 'till tomorrow? Or am I gonna have to lock you in the room?" He asked.

"I'll wait." Carol sighed in defeat. She laid back on the bed. "Goodnight, asshole."

"Night ya stubborn lil' bitch." He shot back. He hoped she didn't take that seriously. He was relieved when he heard her chuckle. It was amazing how much stronger she had gotten, and he loved her new sassy attitude. It made her all the more attractive in his eyes.

_**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with this one so, it's kind of sucky. Anyway, R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	4. Chapter 4

**One Night**

**Chapter 4**

_**A/N: I've been so caught up in A Secret lately I haven't written any chapters for this story! So I'm going to fix that right now. I'm going to warn you now, seriously depressing feels ahead. Peace and happiness doesn't last forever.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"I can't believe it's already been a month since we've settled down here." Beth smiled at Carol as they hung up the clothes on the line. "I mean it feels like maybe this could be our home, don't you think? With it being so quiet and all." It was true, they hadn't had many walkers come near the house. They averaged maybe two a day. It was nice, having the peace.

"Maybe it could Beth." Carol smiled back at the young girl. "If we can finish the fence I can't see why not. I just hope we get it done soon. There is a weak spot in the fence over there." She pointed to the broken boards. "It is easy for walkers to get throught if they tried. They have spent so much time on the front yard, they haven't paid attention to the back." She sighed. "I know they're doing their best but, we should have someone on watch out here too, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Beth nodded in agreement. "But I still think this place is safe for us. This town doesn't seem to have many walkers."

"Thats what we thought about the Atlanta camp too... But that all changed very quickly." That night still haunted Carol's memory. They lost Amy, Jim, and so many others. They would've died too, had it not been for Rick, Daryl, Glenn and T-Dog. They came back with guns and ammo. But unfortunately, they weren't able to save everyone. That day, it broke the group. Andrea, she was never the same after that. Shane resented Rick for it. It was all just a mess. "We also thought that about the farm, but you know how that went." Beth nodded sadly. Suddenly, they heard the sound of wood cracking. They turned their heads to see a walker stumble through the fence. "Stay here Beth, I'll take care of it." Carol grabbed the knife she kept on her at all times, and headed towards the walker. Then, two more stumbled through. Carol thought she could take down three by herself, but it wasn't just three walkers. More piled through the fence, looking at her with hungry eyes. "Oh god..." It was a herd. She started running back towards the house. "Come on Beth!" She shouted as she passed the girl. When she got to the door, she heard a scream coming from Beth. Please, don't be bit. She turned around, and Beth was cornered by the walkers. Carol took a deep breath, and ran straight for the herd. She brought her knife down into one of the walkers skulls. She killed the walkers that stood in her path until she reached Beth. "We have to run!"

"But, daddy! And Maggie!" Beth cried.

"There is no time Beth, they'll make. We have to run or we won't." Carol pulled on her arm, and they started to run. "I'll cover you, just hop over the fence." There was no other way out. The walkers were all around them, they would never be able to make it to the house. She stabbed the walker closest to her as Beth climbed the fence. When she was on the other side, Carol jumped over as quickly as she could. There was a forest a few yards away. "There!" She said, and they both made a break for it. Carol knew the house wouldn't be safe forever. She just hoped the others made it out alive and unharmed.

* * *

Everyone grabbed as much supplies as they could before running out of the house. Everyone was safe and in the cars. Daryl shot an arrow in one of the walkers heads before hopping on his bike. He assumed Carol was with the others. He didn't see her outside anywhere, and he didn't see a body, thankfully. He started the motorcycle, and sped down the road, the others behind him. As far as he knew, no one was hurt. They had to get out of the town and onto the highway. He wasn't going to stop until they were a safe distance from the herd. One question was on his mind. What would happen now?

* * *

Carol leaned against the tree, completely out of breath. They had been running for a long time. They waited until they were far enough into the forest that the walkers couldn't follow them. "Carol, what do we do now? I mean, what if we never see the others again?" Beth was very frightened, Carol could tell. She was too, but she had to be strong. She had to protect Beth. Sure, Beth knew a little bit about defence, but she spent more time with the baby than fighting walkers.

"They're probably headed to the highway. That's where we usually regroup. I'm sure they'll notice we're gone." Carol wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"But what if they don't? What if they think we're dead and leave us here? We'll never survive by ourselves!" Beth cried, panic filling her eyes.

"They won't leave us." Carol stood upright. "They'll come looking for us. I know they will." Atleast, she knew one man would. He would never leave her. He would find her, she knew he would. "We'll make it Beth. They'll find us. We just have to survive until they do. We can do this." Carol tried her best to reassure Beth.

"But what if they do?" Beth asked again.

"They won't." Carol said sternly, and looked off into the distance. "I know he won't..."

* * *

Daryl pulled off to the side of the road, and stepped off the motorcycle. Everyone was getting out of their vehicles, making sure each was okay. He walked up to the group, but didn't see who he was looking for. Daryl immediately went to the cars, scanning the inside of each vehicle. She wasn't there. He double checked the small group of people. She wasn't anywhere. "Carol?" He looked to the group, hoping one of them knew what happened to her.

Rick sighed, and walked over to Daryl. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't see her anywhere Daryl... She wasn't in the house. I tried to find her... But I didn't."

"The fuck you mean, she's gotta be here." Daryl took a step back. "Ya tellin' me ya just left her out there in a herd of walkers?" Not again. He had been separated from her once in a herd, he didn't need it to happen again. The last time he nearly lost her.

"I'm sorry Daryl. I tried, honest." Rick tried to calm him down.

"Wait, Beth isn't here either." Maggie spoke out. "Beth was outside in the back with Carol when the herd came along." She raised a hand to her mouth. "Oh god... What if..."

"Maggie, don't say that." Hershel said sternly. "I know they made it out. Carol would have died to protect her, you know that. I'm positive they're still out there." He knew Carol was strong. She would protect the group no matter what it cost.

"I'm goin' back." Daryl stated. They could stay here, they could do whatever they wanted to, but he was going back. He had to find her.

"Daryl, you can't do that." Glenn spoke up. "That's crazy."

"Fuck all of ya. I'm goin' back. Stay, go, I don't care." He growled, and hopped on his motorcycle.

Rick sighed, and walked over to him. "You know you don't have to do this."

"I do have to." Daryl started up the motorcycle.

"Well... Take one of the cars. You can't fit three people on that bike. We'll wait here. Even if it takes days, we'll stay here until you come back." Rick decided. He wasn't about to leave behind another person. "And Daryl?" He looked back. "Good luck."

"Thanks Rick." Daryl nodded, and got into his truck. Maggie and Glenn had taken it, along with Hershel. Rick, Carl and Michonne took the green car, with the baby in the back with Carl.

"Bring Beth back safe." Maggie pleaded him.

"I'm gonna try." Daryl stated, and turned the car around. With any luck, she had taken Beth into the forest. That was the only way she could've escaped the walkers. The only problem was, how would he find her in that forest? It was pretty big, and she could be anywhere. He had to try. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the brooch. He held onto tight, driving down the road, back to the little town.

* * *

Carol had her back against the tree. She looked over at Beth, who was beside her doing the same thing. She raised a finger to her lips, telling her to keep quiet. She gripped the knife handle, and waited until the walker came into view. She lunged, jamming the blade into its skull. She heard the crack as the knife broke through the bone, and into the brain. The walker dropped to the forest floor as Carol pulled out the blade. "Alright." She nodded, and Beth walked over to her. "We need to find water. It's going to be dark soon. So we need to build a fire. Our first task is to find the water." She knew a bit about survival in the woods thanks to Daryl.

"Won't we need a container or something to put the water in? I mean we'll have to boil it." Beth asked.

"Damn..." Carol sighed. "You're right. Well... We still have to look for water. Keep an eye out for anything we could use to carry the water, okay?" Beth nodded, and they started walking. Carol was sure to keep quiet, and listen for any walkers. Beth kept close behind her. The sun was setting fast, and they didn't have much time left before it was completely dark. There was a little clearing just a few feet ahead of them. "We'll stop there." Carol whispered, slowly creeping up to the clearing. She scanned the area for any walkers, but didn't find any. She did however, hear running water. She cautiously walked towards the sound. It was a natural spring. There wasn't a whole lot of water, but it was clear and looked clean.

"That water looks clean." Beth spoke up, looking at the tiny stream.

"It does... But I don't want to take any risks." Carol mumbled. "Anyway, we should try and build a fire."

"Good idea." Beth hugged herself. It was getting colder out. It would soon be winter.

"Let's gather some wood." Carol said, and walked around looking for anything they could use. There were a few branches lying around. She picked them up, and tried breaking them into smaller pieces.

"Carol, how are we going to make a fire?" Beth asked, grabbed a tree branch.

Carol reached into her pocket, and pulled out a tiny box of matches. "Ed used to smoke. I kept these just incase we ever needed them." Carol handed the box to Beth. "And we need them." She placed the small amount of wood in a pile. She looked around, and walked over to the stream. They would need rocks to control the fire, and make sure it didn't spread. She grabbed a few rock, and started placing them around the wood. "Alright." She took the box from Beth, and took out a match. "Lord, please let them work." She whispered. Sure enough, the match lit up. She placed it in the little firepit, and watched as the flames grew. They didn't grow too high, because there wasn't much wood in the first place. "Thank you god." Carol smiled, and sat down on the cold ground. The fire warmed her skin a little, but not a whole lot. Beth sat down beside her, still hugging herself. "You stay warm." Carol stood up. "I'll watch for walkers."

"But can't you do that sitting down too?" Beth suggested. "You'll freeze otherwise. And I'll keep a lookout too."

Carol nodded, and sat back down. She kept her ears trained for any moans of the undead. Closing her eyes, she prayed. She prayed that the group had made it out safe, and that they wouldn't leave them. She prayed that Daryl would come looking for her. She would give anything to be near him right now. Even if it was just bickering with him, that was better than being without him. She sighed, and stood up. She had a walker to take care of.

_**A/N: A little short, but hey. I thought about killing Beth but then I was like, nah. Beth is too awesome for me to kill off. I hope you enjoyed this depressing chapter. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	5. Chapter 5

**One Night**

**Chapter 5**

_**A/N: Yay, more stories. Lol. I didn't post yesterday because I was busy with my niece. This is going up real late because today, literally, she wouldn't leave me alone. She was in my room nonstop and would get upset if I tried to put her down. So yeah, had to hold her all day pretty much. My back hurts.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl turned the corner, and slowed the truck. The house they used to occupy was at the end of the street. From here, he didn't see any walkers, hopefully the herd had moved on. He slowly crept up on the house. Thankfully, it was empty. Although, the front fence they had put so much effort into had been destroyed. He parked the truck infront of the house, and hopped out. He kept a firm hold of his crossbow as he walked around to the pack. The clothes Carol and Beth had been hanging were torn. He looked at where the walkers had got in. They wouldn't have gone that way. He looked at the few walkers scattered on the ground. Most of them were to one side of the lawn, the direction of the forest. That was probably where they made their escape. He walked over to the fence, and hopped over it. He didn't know how far they had gone. They could be deep in that forest by now. He looked down at the ground to see if he could find any footprints. Slowly, he walked forward until he reached a gravel road. He saw some marks, indicating they had gone this way. He followed the little path until he reached the forest. "Alright woman, which way did ya go?" He asked, knealing down to examine the forest floor. "Ya went straight..." He noted, and followed the footprints further into the forest. His head snapped up as he heard a moan. He turned around and shot an arrow into the head of a walker. "Ugly skank." He muttered, pulling the arrow out. The thick black liquid fell from the arrow and onto the ground. He wiped the blood off on the walkers clothing and put it back in the quiver. Daryl began to follow the trail once more. He found a corpse on the ground. "She musta killed it with her knife." He said to himself as he examined the size of the wound in its forehead. Fuck, she's out here with only her knife, and Beth has nothing. What if the herd had moved into the forest? What if it had followed them? What if it got to them already? No, he had to think positive. He picked up his pace, and wandered deeper into the forest.

* * *

"We made it out." Beth panted as they walked into the open field. "That forest was never ending!"

"Yeah, well we may have been safer to stay in the forest. That's where they'll be looking for us." Carol said as she looked to the sky. It was early in the afternoon by the looks of it. "Take a five minute breather, then we start moving again." Carol was set on making it to the highway. If they didn't find them first, than she would find them instead. She closely examined the blade on her knife. "It's getting dull..." She sighed. A dull blade wasn't a very good defense against walkers.

"Uhm... Carol..." Beth whispered. Carol was too busy looking at her blade to even notice Beth's fear. "Carol!" She whispered more harshly. Carol looked up, and her eyes went wide.

"How the hell did they move so quickly?" Carol asked quietly as she took a step back. The herd was slowly making their way into the field. It wouldn't be long until they spotted the two of them.

"They don't sleep?" Beth suggested. "What do we do Carol?"

"We go back into the forest, and go the other way. Now, backtrack Beth. Follow our footprints if you can see them, back to our little camp we had made. With any luck the others will have found by the time we get there." Carol pushed Beth back towards the forest, and they quickly passed the treeline again. Carol walked behind, making sure no walkers snuck up behind them. God, she hoped someone would find them. They wouldn't survive much longer with just one small weapon.

"We still have a long way to go right?" Beth asked as they walked.

"Yes, unfortunately." Carol nodded, keeping an eye out for any signs of movement. "Let's just keep at this pace, we should be there in no time."

"What do we do if they don't find us?" Beth asked another question.

"We find them." Carol responded.

"How are we going to do that?" Beth glanced behind her shoulder.

"I'm not sure..." Carol sighed. "I'm not sure."

* * *

Daryl knelt down beside the little campfire. "She had matches..." Daryl mumbled to himself. He saw a walker on the ground a few feet away. "They survived the night, atleast." Daryl stood up. It was getting to be late afternoon. He went back to looking at the tracks. He saw that one set of a footprints went off in a different direction. He knelt down to examine them closer. He heard a twig snap, and quickly raised his bow, ready to hit whatever it was. He lowered the bow as a blonde girl appeared. Beth. "Holy shit." Daryl said, walking up to Beth. She was so scared looking, and when she saw him, she threw her arms around him.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Beth hugged him tighter. Daryl didn't like this at all.

"Yeah yeah." Daryl mumbled, looking around. Where was Carol? "Where is Carol?" He asked, finally breaking away from her.

"She's right h-" Beth turned around to see nothing. "Carol?" She asked. "Carol?!" She shouted. Daryl placed a hand over her mouth.

"Sh." He growled. She just nodded. He removed his hand.

"She was right behind me, I swear." Beth looked around. "I... I thought she was still here I mean, she said we better not talk and just focus."

"Well, looks like we got some more searchin' to do." Daryl said. He walked towards the spot Beth had come from. "Well, don't just stand there." Daryl looked back at her. He pulled out his knife. "Take this, ya gonna need somethin' to defend yourself with just in case."

Beth took the knife from his hand and nodded. "Oh, and I should mention... The herd is at the other end of the forest. I mean, maybe they entered the forest without us knowing."

Daryl turned back to her. "And ya didn't think to tell me that first?" Daryl asked. Great, now he had to worry even more. "Let's just go." He said, and walked quickly in the direction Beth came from.

* * *

Carol noticed about a dozen walkers headed for them. There was no way she could protect Beth with the knife. She sighed. "Beth, let's pick up the pace. Maybe we can make it back before sun down." That was her excuse. Beth didn't turn around, but started walking faster. Carol watched as Beth wandered further and further away. She waited until she was out of earshot. "Alright, you want a meal? Come after me, but you have to catch up to me first." She would be damned if she let Beth die. This was the only way to protect her. Using herself as a distraction. They wouldn't be able to outrun the walkers forever, so that was why she sent Beth away. "Come on then!" Carol shouted, and started running. The walkers stared after her, their arms out, trying to reach the fresh meat. If they wanted her, they had to chase her. She gripped the dull knife in her hand as she ran. They picked up their pace as well. They seemed to be getting faster. If she was going to die, she was glad she was able to save Beth. Hopefully, someone found her before a walker did.

* * *

"She took off that way." Daryl noted as he looked at the tracks. He also noticed a lot of other footprints. "Oh fuck." He muttered, standing up. "We gotta find her. She got walkers trailin' her, Carol's fast, but she ain't gonna be able to run forever. Come on." Daryl started to run. He did not want to find her half eaten on the ground.

"All she has is her knife. And I heard her say something about it being dull." Beth spoke up as she hurried to keep up with him.

"Shit!" Daryl picked up his pace. She wouldn't be able to fend off all those walkers with a dull blade. They heard a scream in the distance. No. No no no. Please don't have gotten bit.

"Oh my god!" Beth cried out. "That was her!"

"I know it was her! Shut up and keep runnin'!" Daryl growled, running as fast as he could.

* * *

Carol couldn't run anymore. The walkers were so close to her now. She had to face facts now. She gripped her knife tightly, and waited for the first one to come closer. She backed away, ready to strike if they came too close. She didn't notice the log behind her. She fell backwards onto the ground. The knife lodged into her arm. She let out a scream of pain. She couldn't give up now. She wouldn't go down that easily. She pulled out the knife, and stood up. She took a deep breath, and went for it. One after another, she shoved the blade into their heads. She didn't stop until they were dead. She did it. She fell to her knees, completely out of breath, and in severe pain. She placed a hand over the deep wound, trying to stop the blood from flowing. Carol collapsed onto the ground, tears flowing freely. She just hoped no more walkers came, because she didn't have the energy to fight back. Not after that.

* * *

Daryl saw about a dozen corpses on the ground in the distance. That looked like the walkers that were chasing Carol. She did it. He continued to run, hopping over the fallen log. He saw another body on the ground, one that wasn't a walker. It was her. Her eyes were closed, and her arm was covered in blood. Her hand was covering the wound, so he couldn't see exactly what it was.

"Oh my god..." Beth placed her hands over her mouth as she looked down at Carol.

Daryl knelt down beside her. It looked like she was breathing, but for all he knew, it might not be her breathing anymore. He carefully moved her hand, preparing for the worst. He almost sighed in relief as he saw it wasn't a bite. But it was bleeding quite a bit. "Carol?" He asked quietly, moving a hand under her head. He held it up off the ground, hoping she'd open her eyes.

"I... I did it Daryl..." She whispered. "I killed them..." It was obvious she was very faint, and probably weak from the loss of blood. Who knew how long she was there. He moved his hands, and picked her up, just like he had when he found her in that little cell in the tombs.

"Don't worry Carol, I got ya." He whispered. He turned to Beth. "She's lost a lot of blood, we gotta get her back asap. I can't use my crossbow, I gotta carry her. If any walkers come, ya gotta get 'em. Can ya do that?"

"I'll do anything. Now let's hurry." Beth said, and started running back in the direction they came. Daryl went as fast as he could, trying to keep hold of her. She was pretty light, but she still slowed him down a great deal.

"Don't fuckin' die on me woman, ya understand?" He said to her as he continued to run. "Don't fuckin' die."

_**A/N: Cliffhanger! Will I be cruel and kill her? Will she live? Will she turn into a walker before they get her back? Will she die while they try to stop the bleeding? I don't know, well, I do, but you don't! Haha! R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	6. Chapter 6

**One Night**

**Chapter 6**

_**A/N: I had to fix the last chapter, because someone in the reviews made a very good point that the knife had walker blood on it, then went into her skin, which would cause an infection. I don't want her to die that way, so I fixed it. Not a dramatic change, just got rid of that first kill. Yep. If she's going to die, I want it to be blood loss, not infection. Thanks. Now, read on folks.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"How she doin' back there?" Daryl asked as he drove down the road. They still had a good ten minutes before they got to the others. Beth was in the back, making sure Carol was alright. Daryl had a blanket in the back of his truck, which he ripped in order to make some sort of bandage until they got to Hershel.

"She keep going in and out. I'm trying to keep her awake." Beth responded as Carol closed her eyes once again. She was really worried right now. What if Carol didn't make it?

"Just, make sure she keeps breathin'." Daryl said, and started to go a little faster. They didn't have the time to be slow.

"Carol, can you hear me?" Beth asked, trying to wake Carol up. She didn't want her to close her eyes, she was too afraid that she wouldn't open them again. "Carol you have to stay awake. Please." She saw Carol's eyes open a little, before she closed them again. She couldn't take much more of this. Hopefully they would be there soon.

* * *

Rick leaned against one of the cars, his head down. This was all such a mess. Daryl had been gone a whole day already. What if he hadn't found them? Or he did, and they weren't themselves? He couldn't imagine what that would do to him. After he lost Merle, he had become distant from them, all of them but Carol. If he found Carol dead, or worse, it would probably destroy him. He understood that feeling. It destroyed him to lose Lori, he was never the same after that, he wasn't a good leader to the ones who depended on him for survival, but he finally came around. He had to, for his people. He heard something in the distance, and looked up. Far down the highway road, he saw a blue truck heading towards them. "Look." He spoke up, standing up straight. The others looked in the direction he was.

"Is that him?" Maggie asked, her eyes hopeful. Glenn was holding her. Maggie had been crying so much, she was scared to lose her sister.

"It looks like it Maggie." Hershel smiled, walking over to her. He was still getting used to his new leg they had managed to make during the month they were at the house. It was different, but it felt good to be free of those crutches.

"Alright, when he gets here, I'll walk over to him. We don't know what happened out there." Rick said, and waited for the truck to get closer. It didn't take long for him to slow the truck down infront of them. Rick walked over to the truck when Daryl got out. He looked very worried. "Daryl, everything alright?" He asked. Daryl opened the back door of the truck, and moved aside so Rick could see. Beth's hands were stained red from the blood. She had kept changing the bandage, because it quickly became soaked with Carol's blood. "My god, what happened?" Rick asked, helping Daryl get her out of the truck.

"I don't know Rick. Beth came runnin' towards me, thought Carol was behind her. We got there a lil' too late." Daryl sighed. He and Rick placed her in the bed of the truck, and waved Hershel over. Hershel and Maggie ran over. Maggie ran to her sister, while Hershel went to where Carol was. "Hershel, she's cut pretty bad. She lost a lot blood before we got to her." Daryl bit his lower lip. He removed the bandage to show Hershel the wound. He did not like the look on the old mans face.

"That wound, it is pretty deep. She has definately lost a lot of blood. I don't know if we have enough supplies to fix it..." Hershel raised Carol's arm to get a better look.

"Ya gotta try, please." Hershel saw the hurt and worry in Daryl's eyes.

"Alright, I can try." Hershel nodded, and hurried off to get the supplies he would need.

"Do you have any idea how this might have happened?" Rick asked Daryl. "I know you didn't see it, but maybe a guess?"

"She was fightin' about a dozen walkers with just her knife. There was a fallen log on the ground, guessing she tripped on that and the knife cut her." Daryl moved out of the way as Hershel came back.

"I can try to fix her, but you're all going to have to give me some space." Hershel looked at Daryl.

Daryl didn't want to leave her side, but he knew he had to. He nodded, and walked away. Rick followed him. "I know this probably isn't the time, but we need to figure out what to do next." Rick said, and grabbed a map out of the car. "We can't stay here forever. We're going to have to get moving as soon as Hershel is finished with Carol's arm. Think of it this way, she'd going to need a place to rest and get better. You know she is weak. She won't survive if we stay out in the open like this."

"I know." Daryl sighed. "I don't care where we go, just as long as it's safe."

"I'm thinking we should stay away from the towns for a while. We should find a farmhouse. We can make runs into the nearby town when necessary. Hell, maybe we can grow some vegetables or something. And that way you can hunt as well without going too far." Rick suggested. He thought it was a solid plan for now.

"Sounds fine to me." Daryl shrugged, glancing over at the truck. Hershel was still hunched over, examining and working on Carol's arm. God he hoped she'd be alright.

* * *

"I stitched her up as best I could." Hershel said as he walked up to Daryl, Rick and Glenn. "We had just enough supplies. She's awake right now, but she's pretty weak. I told her she needs to get lots of rest."

"Thank you Hershel." Rick said as Daryl walked off to his truck. "How bad was it?"

"It was pretty bad, but I managed." Hershel sighed. "We're going to need more supplies Rick. We're running very low."

"Alright." Rick nodded. "When we find a place to stay, we'll make a run into town."

"Sounds good." Hershel moved his gaze to where Daryl was. "Don't know why the boy doesn't just come out and say it." He chuckled.

"Me neither Hershel." Rick smiled. "Me neither."

* * *

Daryl looked down at Carol. She had a fresh bandage on her arm, and there was no longer any blood on her arm. There was however a stain on her shirt. "Hey Carol." He said quietly. She looked up at him, and gave him a weak smile.

"Hey yourself." She chuckled. "You should've been there Daryl... I took them all out. If only I would've watched where I was going, I wouldn't be in this situation." She got out of the truck. She was a little dizzy, but Daryl was there to steady her. "Thank you." She she whispered.

"No problem." Daryl shrugged. "Hershel says ya gotta get lots of rest."

"Yeah, I know." Carol sighed. "It's probably best." She looked around. "Everyone made it out alive and well. That's good."

"Yeah, got scared when I didn't see ya..." He looked down at the ground, avoiding her eyes.

"How sweet." Carol smiled at him.

"Glad to see you're up and about Carol." Rick said as he walked up to the two. "Don't do too much though, you're still pretty weak."

"I know Rick, don't worry." Carol nodded.

"Daryl, we're ready to start heading out. Are you going to come with us Carol? There is room in the car in the back with Carl and Judith." Rick offered. He thought it would be best if she did, that way she could rest on the way.

Carol looked back at Daryl. She wanted to go on the bike with him. She wanted to be near him. "I was thinking of going with Daryl." She responded.

"Ya can't do that Carol. With your arm and all." Daryl looked up. "Ya won't be able to hold on. Ya gotta go with Rick, it's best for ya."

"I suppose you're right." Carol nodded, a little disappointed. "Alright Rick, I'll go with you."

"Great." Rick smiled. He showed Daryl the map. "This is the route we're going to go." He pointed it out. Daryl nodded. "Come on Carol." Rick let her lean on him as they walked over to the car. He opened the door, and helped her in.

"Thanks Rick." Carol smiled. He nodded, and shut the door. "Aw, I'm glad to see Judith is alright." Carol reached out a hand to the infant in Carl's arms.

"Yeah. We're glad you're alright too Carol." Carl smiled back at her.

"That was a pretty bad cut you had." Michonne stated as she glanced back at Carol.

"My own fault, not looking where I was going." Carol chuckled.

"Heard you took on a whole group of walkers. That's pretty brave. You must be pretty strong for a tiny woman." Michonne gave her a small smile before turning around to face the front. Rick got in and started the car. "So you know where we're going?" Michonne asked him.

"Got it all marked on a map. Daryl is going to lead the way." He waited for Daryl to get on the road. "Try to rest on the way Carol."

"I'll try." Carol sighed, and rested her head against the window. Once they started moving, she could see Daryl infront of them. She smiled to herself, thinking of how he had come and rescued her, like she knew he would. She was so glad it was him. With that thought in mind, she let herself fall asleep.

_**A/N: A little short, but hey. She lives. I wouldn't kill her, you all should know this by now. It's too soon to end this story! And besides, I don't think I'm going to kill Carol OR Daryl ever. Killing Carol ins HWGA was enough. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	7. Chapter 7

**One Night**

**Chapter 7**

_**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated any stories in a few days! I just didn't feel like it. But I feel like it now, so I better write before the feeling goes away! Enjoy!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol opened her eyes, and saw she was no longer in the car. Where the hell was she? She looked down. She was lying in a bed. A bed. She looked up when she heard someone walk in. It was Daryl. "Oh, ya woke up." He said, walking over to the bed. Carol just nodded, and used her arm to get into a sitting position. She had forgotten about the wound. Pain shot through her entire arm, and let out a small cry. "Are ya alright?" Daryl asked, kneeling down beside the bed.

"I'm fine, Daryl." Carol sighed, and looked down at her arm. There was a new bandage on it. She looked around the room. "Do you care to explain where the hell we are?" She asked.

"Well, ya slept through the whole trip. Came across this house. Searched it, killed the few walkers, and now here we are. Town ain't that far away neither, so we can go get supplies when needed. Rick ain't sure 'bout stayin' here, but he said this will do for now." Daryl explained, standing up. They turned their heads when someone knocked on the door.

"Hey, how is she doing?" Beth asked, standing in the doorway.

"See for yourself." Daryl stepped aside. Beth made her way over.

"How is your arm?" She asked Carol, a look of concern on her face.

Carol smiled. "It still hurts, but I'll be fine. I've gone through worse." She used her good arm to sit up. "How are you Beth? I'm sorry about leaving you alone, but it was the only way to protect you."

"I understand Carol. I'm the one who feels bad though. Back at that house, I should've run, instead I stood there frozen." It was true, Beth blamed herself for what happened to Carol.

"Don't talk like that." Carol scolded her. "It's in the past, let's leave it there. No one is at fault here."

"Okay." Beth nodded. "Well, I'll come visit you later. I have to start on supper." Beth waved and walked out of the room. Daryl took her place, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"So, uh, ya need anythin'? Like a water or somethin'?" Daryl asked, looking at his hands.

"I could go for a water." Carol smiled.

Daryl looked back when he felt the bed shift. "What do ya think you're doin'?" He stood up.

"I'm going to get a water." Carol stated, moving to get out of bed.

"Ya can't do that." Daryl walked over to the other side of the bed. "Stay. I'll get the water."

"It's only my arm Daryl. I didn't break my leg." She chuckled, pushing past him. Daryl muttered something, but she chose to ignore him. She walked by a mirror, and then stopped, taking a couple steps back to look at herself. "I look horrible!" She stared into the mirror. Her hair was a mess, her face was covered in dirt, and she just looked old. "My god... I look so old." She turned around to look at Daryl. "Look at me!"

Daryl stared down at the floor boards. "Don't think ya look bad..." He mumbled quietly. He didn't think she ever looked bad. Hell, it was damn near impossible for her to look bad.

Carol couldn't stop herself from smiling. She walked over to him, and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before walking out of the room. She left him standing there, in the middle of the room, completely dumbfounded. Damn that woman.

* * *

"Carol! Great to see you're awake." Rick smiled, cradling Judith in his arms. "You slept through the whole ride. You didn't even wake up when Daryl carried you up the stairs." He chuckled, walking over to stand beside her. Judith reached out for Carol. "She sure likes you."

"Aw, hi sweetheart." Carol smiled, letting Judith grab her finger. "I guess I was just really tired. I don't know how Daryl could sleep in the woods. I was terrified."

"I don't know how that man can do a lot of things." Rick smiled. "Supper should be ready pretty soon. Are you going to join us at the table?"

"I would love to." Carol nodded. Daryl walked up behind her. "How about you? Are you going to join us at the table, or are you going to go eat outside?"

"Thought 'bout eatin' outside." Daryl confessed. "But if ya want me to eat inside I guess I can..." He shrugged. "Don't matter to me."

"Why don't you join us? You never do." Carol pleaded. "You can sit by me, if you want." He shrugged again. "I'll take that as a yes." Carol smiled. She placed a hand on his arm before walking into the kitchen. Beth was over the stove, and she looked quite busy. "Do you want some help?" Carol asked. She didn't like being injured. It meant you couldn't do anything. She liked to keep herself busy. Even the smallest tasks, she didn't like having the time to think these days. She would always revisit the tragic events that have occured, and it wasn't something she enjoyed doing. She mostly thought of Sophia. She missed her little girl so much. What she wouldn't give to hold her baby girl in her arms once more.

"I'm almost done cooking. Maybe you could set the table?" Beth suggest. Carol thought that was a simple task. She agreed, and stepped past Beth towards the cupboards. There were some nice plates in there. She grabbed enough for everyone, and walked into the dining room. She set a place for each member of the group. She was startled when she heard a door slam upstairs. Looking towards the stairs, she saw a stressed out Glenn making his way down.

"Glenn?" She asked as he walked into the dining room.

"Oh, hey Carol." Glenn sighed, running a hand through his hair. "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright." Carol nodded. "What about you? Everything okay with you?"

"I wish it was." Glenn pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. He placed his head on his hands.

"What's wrong?" Carol asked, walking over to stand beside him.

"It's Maggie. I don't know what's wrong with her. She's been kind of ignoring me today, so I asked if everything was alright, and she snapped. Saying she wished I would stop treating her like a child and let her be." Glenn shrugged. "I don't know what I did wrong."

"Well, did she say anything besides that?" Carol knew Maggie wasn't the one to do something like that. She loved Glenn a lot, she wouldn't normally shut him out.

"I don't know, Carol. Do you think maybe it's her time of the month?" He glanced up at her.

Carol just shrugged. "It could be. Just give her some space. I'm sure she'll be back to normal soon." She reassured him before walking back into the kitchen. She had completely forgotten about her water. She saw Daryl with a bottle in his hand.

"Still had to get ya some water, even though ya refused earlier." He handed her to bottle. "Well, ya gonna sit down or what?"

"Okay, okay." Carol took a sip of the water and walked back to the table. She sat down one seat from the end. She figured Daryl would want to sit at the end. Just as she suspected, he sat down on the last chair. Glenn was still sitting there, face buried in his hands.

"Whats wrong with him?" Daryl whispered to Carol.

"Maggie." Carol whispered back. Daryl just sat back in the chair. After a few minutes, everyone was sitting down at the table as Beth served the food. It sort of felt like a normal family meal. Carol always enjoyed when they ate together. She never had that before all this happened. She didn't have a lot of things before this happened.

"I don't mean to be a downer or anything," Beth started. "But that was the last of the food."

"I'll go huntin' tomorrow." Daryl said.

"And we're running low on medical supplies." Hershel chimed in. "I used most of what we brought on Carol."

Carol just felt bad now. She used up the last of their supplies? "We'll make a run into town tomorrow. Me, Maggie, Glenn and Michonne." Rick stated.

"I want to go." Carl spoke up. "I never go on runs. I know how to use a weapon, let me go this time."

"Carl we don't know what's in town. It's better you stay here." Rick hated fighting with Carl, but he was only worried about him.

"So? I know how to handle myself. I'll be fine." Carl protested.

"Let him go." Michonne said. "I'll stay back this time."

Rick sighed. "Fine. Then it's settled. We'll leave in the morning."

* * *

Carol yawned, closing the book she was reading. She had found it in one of the drawers in the room. She looked out the small window in the room. She couldn't see anything. Daryl walked in just as she was getting ready to fall asleep. "Oh, hey." She smiled at him.

"Hey." Daryl walked over to the corner of the room. He had a pillow and a blanket in his hand.

"You're not sleeping on the floor again are you?" Carol asked. He didn't deserve to sleep on the floor every night.

"Couch is taken by Michonne." Daryl shrugged, dropping the pillow on the ground. "Ain't got no place else to sleep."

"Take the bed." Carol suggested.

"Ya gotta sleep on the bed. Ya need the rest." Daryl looked over at her.

"I know." Carol sighed. "Just... The bed is big enough for the both of us..." She felt the heat creeping up her neck.

Did she really just ask that? Ask him to join her? In the bed? 'Get those thoughts out of your head Dixon.' Daryl scolded himself. Should he turn her down? Should he join her? He wanted to join her, lord knows he did. "We don't have all day Daryl." Her voice floated through his ears. Fuck.

"Fine." Daryl grabbed the pillow off the ground and walked towards the bed. He climbed in beside her, and tried to stay as close to the edge as possible.

"I don't bite you know." Carol chuckled, pulling the covers over her shoulder.

"I know." Daryl tried his best to relax. This was very awkward to him. He hadn't shared a bed with a woman ever. Even if they weren't going to do anything, he still felt very awkward.

"Why are you so tense?" Carol asked. He looked completely frozen, lying there on his back. His arms were right at his sides. She suspected he was scared he might touch her. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't care if he touched her. He could touch her whenever he wanted... Boy that sounded wrong on so many levels.

"I ain't. Just go to sleep woman." Daryl growled and turned over onto his side. His back was turned to her. She just shrugged and got cozy under the blanket. Daryl reached into his pocket and pulled out the brooch. He still hadn't given it to her. He had walked towards and was about to give it to her many times. But then she turned around and stared at him with her beautiful blue eyes and he would chicken out. He felt like such a pussy, and that's what Merle would tell him if he were still alive. First, he would call him a pussy for being so crazy over a girl, then he would tell him to man up and show her he was interested. He could just never bring himself to do it. Maybe he should just get it over with now? "Carol?" He turned around to look at her, but she was already sound asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Daryl woke up and felt a warmth that wasn't there before. He looked down, and saw Carol snuggled up against him, her face buried in the crook of his neck. He had his arm around her. "Jesus christ!" He shouted, moving away quickly. The next thing he knew, he fell off the bed, and flat on his ass. He saw Carol jump and look over the bed. Fuck. He felt his face flush pure red. He was embarrassed, and his ass hurt. Wonderful.

"What was that for?" Carol asked, trying to steady her breathing. "You scared me half to death."

"Sorry..." Daryl muttered, standing up quickly. He needed to get out of here fast.

Carol got out of bed and walked over to him. "What happened?"

"Nothin' important." Daryl growled, still feeling embarrassed. When he felt embarrassed, he usually turned it into anger. "Now leave me be and go back to sleep. I got some huntin' to do." He pushed past her, and grabbed his crossbow.

Carol sighed. "Well, be safe." She whispered as he stormed out of the room. She wondered why that happened? She was pulled, and then heard a loud crash. She saw Daryl on the floor, and his face was very red. She wished she knew what happened. The more she thought about him on the floor, the more she started to smile. It was pretty funny if she thought about it. She couldn't stop herself from giggling. When Rick walked in, she was in a fit of laughter.

"Carol? Are you alright?" Rick asked, a smile on his face.

"Yeah..." Carol breathed. "I'm fine." She chuckled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Good. Well, Daryl already left for hunting. And now we're heading out. Just thought I'd let you know." Carol nodded, sitting back down on the bed.

"Good luck Rick. And be safe." Carol smiled as he walked away. Hopefully the run went as planned, and nothing bad happened. Though nothing bad would happen, the group was certainly in for a surprise.

_**A/N: CLIFFHANGER. And that funny moment. I sat here for 5 minutes laughing before I was finally able to type it out. I could picture it so clearly. One second Daryl is there, the next he isn't. Haha! Well, R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	8. Chapter 8

**One Night**

**Chapter 8**

_**A/N: And now, we will find out just what the surprise was.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl struggled under the weight of the buck he caught. He hadn't seen any for a while, so this would certainly make for a good meal, and it would last them for a few days. He walked out of the forest, and dropped the buck on the ground. His back hurt something awful, after carrying it such a long ways. He grabbed the back legs, and dragged it the rest of the way. Michonne came up beside him, and helped him carry it the rest of the way. Where the hell was he going to skin it? He could do it in the backyard. It made the most sense, that way he didn't get blood all over the kitchen table. He instructed Michonne to help him carry it to the back. They dropped it on the back porch. He mumbled a thanks to her before she walked away. He noticed Carol was washing some clothes in the yard. He decided to go over and talk to her. "Hey." He said as he came up beside her.

Carol looked up and smiled at Daryl. "Hi. I see you made it back. Catch anything?" She asked. Daryl motioned to the porch behind him. "Wow!" She exclaimed, standing up to get a better look at it. "That's amazing. It will surely feed us for a while."

"Just luck I guess." Daryl shrugged. "Gotta skin it now."

"After I just finished washing the clothes Daryl?" Carol sighed, a small smile on her face. "You enjoy making more work for me, huh?"

"Maybe." He smirked, walking back to the deer.

* * *

Rick kept the gun in his hand as he crept through the drug store. They had killed all the walkers, but you could never be sure. The others were gathering supplies at the front of the store. He was going to the back to into the pharmacy area and grab some supplies from there. He carefully opened the door that read "Staff Only". There was one walker inside in a stained white coat. Must have been one of the workers. He quickly put it out of it's misery. He started grabbing some bottles, when he heard something fall behind him. Rick turned around, his gun raised. There, stood a man who looked obviously frightened. He noticed a blood stain on his sleeve. "Who are you?" Rick growled, keeping his gun raised. It would only take one move of his finger on the trigger to put a bullet right through his head.

"My name is Jason. Jason Harper." The man, Jason, replied to Rick. His hands were raised in the air. "P-please, don't shoot. I'm not a threat."

"That's yet to be determined." Rick glared. "What's with the blood on your arm. You get bit?"

"No! No it's not that. I swear." The man shook his head. "It's old. I got into a scrape with someone who used to be with me. He got bit a while back. It's just me now." He slowly lowered his arms. "Please, lower the gun. We can work something out? I'm alone, no one else. I won't survive on my own for much longer. I can be your partner, you and me. I bet we'd work well together."

"Who the hell is this?" Carl had his gun raised as well. He had come to look for his dad, and saw a strange man was blocking his path to his father. He was ready to shoot if need be.

Jason turned around. "I'm Jason Harper." He turned back to Rick. "This must be your kid? I didn't think there were any kids left in this world."

"Yeah well you thought wrong." Rick lowered his gun, and looked at Carl. Carl didn't look happy about it, but he lowered his gun as well. "We've got others. It isn't just me and him. We've got a whole group."

"Safety in numbers." Jason nodded. "Would it be any trouble if I joined? I'll stay out of the way and won't bother anyone."

"You can come with us for now, Jason." Rick stopped infront of the man. "But if you do anything to screw it up, I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

Jason nodded. Rick pushed past the man, and made quick work of gathering the necessary supplies. "Let's go." He ordered, heading back to the front of the store. Glenn and Maggie were waiting at the front door.

"Who is that?" Glenn asked, staring at the man following Rick.

"His name is Jason. He's coming back with us. He already knows we'll kill him if he does anything." Rick walked past them, heading towards the car. Glenn just watched the man for a moment before walking after the others. He had a bad feeling in his stomach. And he knew of only one person who would feel the same way. When they got back, he would definately be having a talk with Daryl Dixon.

* * *

Daryl finished skinning the dear. Blood covered his hands. He instinctively wiped it on his pants. "Do you know how long it will take to get the blood off those jeans Daryl Dixon?" Carol crossed her arms as she stood infront of him.

"Sorry." He mumbled. "We gonna cut up this deer or not?"

"What else is there to do? Screw around?" She grinned, walking past him. Daryl scoffed, waiting for her to return. She came back outside, a large knife in her hand. She handed it to him, and watched as he began cutting up the meat. About ten minutes later, he had the meat off the bones. Her hands were also covered in blood now. "I'll take the meat inside while you get rid of the bones." She said, and hauled the meat inside. She searched through the drawers and found some plastic bags. She put all the meat inside the bags. "There." She nodded. Beth walked in and gasped at the blood on Carol's hands. Carol couldn't help but laugh. "Don't get excited, it's just from the buck Daryl caught."

"Oh thank god." Beth sighed in relief. "I'll start cooking while you get washed up."

"Okay." Carol smiled. She walked away, and looked back as Daryl walked in after her. She should've watched where she was going, because her arm smashed right against the door frame. She had forgotten about her injury again. She had been busy all day. Tears filled her eyes as the sharp pain flowed through her arm. She blinked them back, and kept on walking.

"Carol, ya alright?" Daryl asked, catching up to her.

"Yes, don't worry." She nodded, walking into the bathroom. She turned on the tap, and started washing the blood off her hands.

"Ya gotta remember to take it easy. Gonna be a while before that wound heals." He said, moving to the sink after she was finished.

"I know." Carol nodded. They both heard the car pull up. "They're back. Come on." She walked out of the bathroom, hurrying to the front door. Daryl followed her outside, and stopped as he saw a strange man step out of the car. Who the fuck?

"Who's this?" Daryl glared, walking over to Rick.

"His name is Jason, he'll be staying with us." Rick looked back at the man. "I don't think he'll do anything. He knows I'll kill him otherwise."

"He better." Daryl growled. Just one look at the guy and he already didn't trust him. He didn't trust many people. Only the group. Anyone else was a threat. But this man looked like he was hiding something. He just wished he knew what. Everyone else made their way inside, but he continued to watch the man as he walked away. He better not try anything. Daryl thought he was alone, but he was wrong. He turned his head as the korean stood beside him.

"You don't trust him either." Glenn spoke, watching the man enter the house.

"Not for a second." Daryl narrowed his eyes. "He's hidin' somethin', I know it."

"I have the same feeling. We found him at the drug store. Well, Rick found him. I think we should've left him." Glenn sighed. "But Rick is the leader, I guess there isn't anything we can do."

"For now." Daryl crossed his arms. "Best keep an eye on him."

"Agreed." Glenn nodded. "I just hope we're wrong about this." He said as he started walking towards the house.

"You and me both." Daryl followed. Everyone was gathering around the table when they entered. He saw Carol sit down. He started making his way over, when that man took his spot. _His _spot. Beside Carol. No one, _no one_ sat there but him. He glared at the man as he grabbed his plate of food and walked out to the back. He wasn't eating with everyone knowing that man was there. He sat down on the steps, and started eating his meal. He expected Carol to appear at any moment and join him. She usually did. She never let him eat alone. She was always there. But today was different. She didn't follow him. It bothered him more than it should have. Daryl knew he couldn't force her to eat with him. He didn't control her. But for some reason, he felt so alone without her there. He used to eat alone all the time before he got close to her, and he didn't care. He was fine with it, preferred it actually. Right now, though, he hated it. He sighed, walking back inside. He had finished his food a long time ago. Carol was washing the dishes by the sink, and the man, Jason, was standing beside her. He could just feel his blood boiling. He knew that look, and that tone of voice. Merle had used it too often on girls. He was flirting with her. He just got here, and he was already making a move on her. That was not allowed. Daryl walked into the kitchen, and placed the plate in the water.

"Well, I'll talk to you later Carol." Jason placed a hand on her shoulder. He had two seconds to get the fuck out of the room before Daryl murdered him. It would be in his best interest to remove his hand and never go near her again. If he wanted to live, he would obey Daryl's silent order.

"Alright." Carol smiled at him. No, that was supposed to be _his _smile. He hated this. Everything that was going on. Jason being added to the group, Carol not joining him, Jason flirting with Carol, the fact that he was getting so jealous over it, Jason touching Carol's arm, and just Jason in general. Fuck that guy. He didn't know why he was getting so worked up, Carol wasn't his. She wasn't his girlfriend or anything. Even though he may have wanted that. He didn't have the guts to ask her or even show that he was interested in her. She probably wasn't interested in him that way. Damn it. Why did she do this to him? Why couldn't she have left him alone back at Hershel's farm? Why did she have to grow so close to him and break down the walls he had been building for so long? He hadn't even noticed Carol was trying to talk to him until he felt her soft hand on his arm. "Daryl? Hello are you there?"

"What?" Daryl looked down at her. Her blue eyes looked him over, wondering if he was alright.

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah, just peachy." He growled.

"Daryl, what's wrong?" Carol looked at him with sad eyes. He didn't dare look her in the eyes. She sighed, and lifted his chin so he had to look at her. "Daryl." She said, demanding an answer.

"Nothin' is wrong woman. I told ya." He took a step back away from her.

"It's Jason, isn't it." Carol sighed. "You need to atleast give him a chance. He seems quite friendly."

"Seems he's real friendly towards ya." Daryl muttered and walked away. He wasn't about to talk about his feelings to her. No way.

Carol realized now. He was jealous. She didn't go after him though, she had to finish washing the dishes. And it didn't seem like he wanted to talk right now. "You're alone again I see?" Carol turned to see Jason enter the room again.

"For now." Carol gave him a small smile and continued washing the dishes. He stood over her. She just wanted to get these dishes done so she could take care of Daryl. He had no reason to be jealous.

"How about I give you some company?" Jason asked. Carol just shrugged. "Pretty thing like you doesn't deserve to be alone." Carol turned around to fully face him.

"Who says I'm alone?" She knew he didn't mean at the moment. No, he had been hinting at relationships all evening. "You just got here, you don't know me or anyone else."

"I just thought, you didn't seem to be hanging around anyone." Jason explained. "I mean, the asian kid is always hanging around that brunette. That redneck seems lost in himself, and I know you're not with Rick." She went into defensive mode. Maybe Daryl was right. No one talked about Daryl like that, ever.

"You don't know anything about Daryl. You have no right to talk about him like that." Screw the dishes. She could finish them later. "Now, if you'll excuse me." She pushed past him, and went to find the man she was just talking about. She found him sitting on the couch, holding little Judith. It warmed her heart. She smiled and sat beside him. "Hi."

"Thought you'd be too busy with Mr. Friendly." Daryl growled.

"I thought you would be more fun to talk to." Carol watched as Judith tugged on Daryl's shirt. She could see a small smile on his face as he looked at Judith. "But if you're too busy, I can always leave."

"Nah." Daryl turned to look at her. "I was just overreactin' earlier. He was too forward, and I just don't trust him."

"And you were jealous." Carol grinned.

"Was not." Daryl glared. How the hell did she know that.

Carol chuckled. "You don't have to be jealous of him Daryl. Nothing would ever go on. No one will ever take your place." She stood up, and walked away, leaving him to ponder that thought. No one would take his place? What had she meant by that? It could've meant a million things. Damn it, she was doing it again. Why had he fallen for her? And why had he fallen so hard? This whole thing was messed up. He looked down at Judith as she made a sound, demanding his attention. He smiled at her. She was the other one he loved. Everyone loved Lil' Asskicker.

* * *

Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, rolling his shoulder. His back still hurt from carrying that buck. He hoped he didn't mess it up too bad. "You okay?" Carol's voice broke the silence that was in the room.

"Back hurts a bit, nothin' major though." Daryl rolled his shoulder one more time. Still hurt. He felt the bed shift as Carol crawled over to sit behind him. She was on her knees.

"Here. Let me." He rested his hands on his lap. "Back at the prison, you massaged my shoulders. The least I can do now is return the favor." She smiled. Her hands felt good as she made work on shoulders. He immediately started to relax. Her hands moved lower, away from his shoulders and onto his back. That felt even better. He focused on her every movement. He sighed contently. All the stress and anger from earlier was gone. All thoughts of Jason and how much he wanted him dead disappeared. Only thing on his mind was her. He felt her chin rest on his shoulder. "All better?" She asked. She was so close to him right now, and he didn't feel like running this time. Not like this morning. He ran more from embarrassment than anything else.

"Mhm." Daryl said quietly.

"Good." Carol smiled, moving away from him. He instantly missed her presence. She walked around the bed and sat down beside him. "You know, I sort of set him straight earlier."

"What do ya mean?" Daryl asked, looking at her through his hair. He never noticed how long it had gotten.

"I mean, he started talking to me again after you left. He was hinting at getting together with me. I asked him what made him think I wasn't with anyone. He explained that Glenn and Maggie were together, and that you were lost in your own world. It made me mad, hearing him talk like that about you. So, in a nice way, I told him to beat it."

"Ya shoulda told him to fuck off." Daryl smirked.

"That's not my style." Carol chuckled. "But you don't have to be jealous of him. Or anyone else." She looked down at the ground. "I'm not getting together with anyone anytime soon." Unless he wanted to be with her, she would gladly change her mind.

Daryl gathered up all the courage he had. He reached into his pocket, and grabbed the brooch. He grabbed her hand, and placed it on her palm. He didn't look at her, he was too afraid to look at her right now.

Carol watched as he pulled something out of his pocket. She was a little surprised when he grabbed her hand and placed something in it. She stared at the beautiful brooch. A cherokee rose. "D-Daryl... It's beautiful..." Here came the waterworks.

"Found it when we went on that run into town. When I fought off all them walkers." Daryl continued to stare at the ground. He could hear her sniffles. He looked up then. She was crying. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, scared he upset her.

Her next move shocked him. She threw her arms around him, and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Thank you." She whispered. His hands hovered for a moment before returning her embrace. He didn't expect this reaction from her at all. But he certainly wasn't complaining. He normally hated being touched, but she was a different story. She didn't let go for quite some time. After a few more moments, she finally broke away. "I guess we should get some sleep..." She wiped away the remaining tears.

"Yeah, we should." Daryl nodded. He felt really awkward now. Did he sleep on the floor? Or with her? He felt weird thinking like that. Sleeping with her. He knew what he meant, but it still sounded so wrong. He would never _sleep_ with her. Unless she wanted it. No, that was bad. He cursed himself for even thinking about that. They were friends that would never happen.

"You know, you don't have to sleep on the floor if you don't want. That offer still stands." She gave him a small smile before pulling the covers over her body. As long as she was offering. He pulled back the covers and slid into the bed. He didn't try to stay as far away from her as possible this time. He got into a comfortable position before drifting off to sleep.

_**A/N: Did you enjoy? I hope so? Tell me your thoughts on Jason Harper. Are you like Glenn and Daryl? Or are you like Rick? Or do you completely trust him? R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	9. Chapter 9

**One Night**

**Chapter 9**

_**A/N: After being severely depressed over Alice's death in Under The Dome and crying for a long time, I decided to write and try to lift my spirits. Caryl usually helps, or makes me worse because so many feels. Anyway, have fun reading this chapter.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol's eyes fluttered open. She noticed she was very close to Daryl right now. She was cuddled up next to him. He, however, was still sleeping. This was a first. He always woke up before her. She felt the weight of his arm around her waist. Her cheeks turned red. Maybe she should get up and make breakfast before he woke up. He would probably freak out if he found out this happened. She stayed for a few more seconds, enjoying it, and then moved to get up. She felt him tug on her waist, and pull her even closer. Now she was the one freaking out inside. She loved being so close to him, but it wasn't right. She tried to move again, but it was no use. He held onto her tight. Hopefully, he'd wake up soon. She had to make breakfast for everyone, and she didn't want to get to used to his embrace. He looked so peaceful when he slept. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. He didn't look angry or stressed like he normally did. If she ever said this outloud he would kill her, but he looked very cute. In her eyes, he always looked cute.

* * *

Daryl had been awake for so long. Carol was still sound asleep when he woke up. He had noticed he was holding her, and she was cuddled up next to him. Was it going to be like this every morning? It was the reason he freaked out yesterday. Today though, he didn't freak out. In fact, he stayed. When he felt her stir, he closed his eyes. It would be very weird if she woke up to find him staring at her while she slept. She had started to get up, but he pulled her back. He didn't want to let her go just yet. He wanted to keep her close a just a few minutes longer.

* * *

Carol sighed. She really had to get up now. She placed her hand on his arm. "Daryl?" She whispered. Nothing. "Daryl?" She said a little louder. He opened his eyes. His eyes were gorgeous. "Daryl, it's time to get up." She smiled. When he groaned, she laughed. "I know, but I have to make breakfast."

"Ya gotta get up, don't mean I gotta." Daryl protested. He didn't have to go hunting, and they didn't have to go on a run. He didn't have to do anything.

"I don't mind if you sleep more. But I need to get up." She didn't want to leave his arms, but she had to. "I don't need you to keep me company while I make breakfast. I'm perfectly fine being alone."

Alone? Not a chance. Not with that Jason running around. No, he had to protect what was his. What was he thinking? Carol wasn't his. But he still had to keep Jason away from her. That guy was bad news, and it would just be a matter of time before he did something. "Nah, I'll get up." He let his arm linger a little before letting her go.

"If you say so." Carol smiled, getting out of bed. She walked out of the room, and down the stairs. Daryl followed behind her. She entered the kitchen, and grabbed a pan from the cupboard. Daryl leaned against the counter, out of her way.

"Alone again are we?" Jason smiled as he leaned against the wall just outside of the kitchen. He only had a view of Carol. He had no idea Daryl was there.

"No, she ain't." Daryl growled, moving closer to Carol. "She's got all the company she needs."

"I don't believe you're Carol." He walked into the kitchen. "You don't speak for her." Jason crossed his arms. Was he seriously challenging Daryl?

"Do you want to get your ass kicked, Jason?" Daryl narrowed his eyes. "Because I'll be more than happy to whoop your sorry ass."

"Daryl." Carol warned him. Daryl continued to glare at the man, but backed off. "No, I'm not alone, Jason."

"I see that now." He scoffed. "But maybe you'd want some better company?"

"Fuck you." Daryl stalked up to the man. He was ready to punch him in the face.

"Daryl!" Carol stepped in between the two. "Jason why don't you go some place else." She looked to him. He scoffed again, and walked away.

"Wish you woulda let me punch him." Daryl muttered.

"You can't." She smiled up at him. "Just ignore him."

"Pretty hard when he keeps flirtin' with ya like that. He ain't good for ya, or anyone for that matter. He ain't good at all. I ain't wrong about this guy Carol, he's trouble. We should throw him out on his ass." Daryl crossed his arms.

"You'll just have to talk to Rick about that." Carol went back to making breakfast. "Go talk to him right now if you need to."

"I ain't gonna talk to him..." But he knew someone he could talk to. "I'll be back. If that rat comes back, tell him to fuck off." He walked out of the kitchen. He went off in search for Glenn. He saw him coming down the stairs. "Glenn." Daryl stopped infront of him. "Gotta talk to ya."

"Oh, uh, okay." Glenn followed Daryl outside. "What is it?"

"I don't like Jason." Daryl growled. "We need to throw him out. He is bad news."

"I know he is." Glenn nodded. "What did he do? Anything?"

"He's gettin' too friendly..." Daryl mumbled, looking back to the house.

"Oh..." Glenn understood. "You mean he's getting too friendly with Carol." Daryl looked back at the korean. "I heard him chatting her up at the dinner table last night. If you were there, you would've punched him out for sure." Glenn chuckled.

"He hasn't stopped either. If he don't stop, I'm gonna kick his ass." Daryl narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe we can talk to Rick. Convince him to get rid of this guy." Glenn suggested.

"Later." Daryl said. "Now ain't a good time. 'Sides, breakfast."

"Right. Everyone is probably at the table. We better go." Daryl nodded, and they made their way inside the house. Sure enough, everyone was gathering around the table. And that fucker was in _his _spot again. He wasn't walking away this time. He walked right up to him.

"I believe you're sittin' in my spot." Daryl glared.

"Who says it's your spot? It wasn't yours yesterday." Jason didn't budge.

"I say it's my spot." Daryl growled. "Now get the fuck off it before I force you."

"Can you believe this guy?" Jason whispered to Carol.

"Jason." Carol glared at him. "You better listen to him unless you want to be punched in the face."

"He can't make me." Jason protested. "Rick will throw him out for something like that. Attacking a member of the group."

"You aren't a member of the group yet son. You just got here." Hershel spoke up. "Now you get out of that chair and come sit over here." He motioned for the spot next to him. Jason sighed in frustration, but obeyed the old man. Daryl was surprised at Hershel, but he was thankful. He took his seat beside Carol. He looked over at Hershel, who just nodded. Everyone ate their breakfast in silence. Daryl glanced up at Carol, and noticed she had the brooch pinned on her shirt. He took great pride in that. He finished his food, but stayed and waited for Carol to finish. The whole time, he felt Jason's eyes on him. Fuck that guy, if he didn't stop staring there would be trouble. Serious trouble. Carol stood up then, and grabbed everyones plates. Daryl stood up and followed her. He wouldn't be leaving her alone for long today. No, he'd be sticking around to make sure Jason would stay the fuck away.

"You don't need to follow me, Daryl." Carol smiled, placing the dishes in the sink.

"Gotta make sure fuckface doesn't come near ya." Daryl muttered, standing beside her.

"Well then you can help me." She tossed the dish towel at him. "You can dry the dishes and put them away." Great. He didn't want to, but he had to. She handed him the first dish, and he dried it. He did not like this. But he would do it if it meant staying close to her.

* * *

Carol was outside with Beth and Judith, and Daryl had been pulled aside by Rick to talk about some things. He wished Rick would shut up and tell someone else. Especially when he saw Jason heading out the back door. If Jason went near Carol, he was going to flip.

"Pretty cute." Jason smiled, kneeling down beside Carol, Beth, and Judith.

"Yeah, she is." Carol smiled as Judith crawled to her.

"Wasn't talking about the baby." Oh god, he was going to start again?

"Are you ever going to give up?" Carol glared up at him. She wasn't interested in him at all. She had her eyes on another man in this group.

"Not until you give in." He smirked. Carol looked towards Beth, and silently told her to take Judith. Beth looked between the two before grabbed Judith and taking her back inside.

Daryl heard the back door open. That better be Jason. Nope, it was Beth. She made her way over to him. "Jason is outside. He is bothering Carol again." She said, handing Judith to Rick.

"Go." Rick nodded to Daryl. He understood their relationship, and he knew that another man talking to Carol that he didn't trust was a no. He used to be like that with Lori.

Daryl nodded, and made a bee line for the back door.

"Listen." Carol stood up. "I am not interested in you. I will never be interested in you. So just stop pestering me, okay?"

"What's the matter? You seeing someone else?" He asked, eyes meeting hers.

"Maybe I am." Carol watched as Daryl stepped out onto the porch. "Now this conversation is over." She pushed past Jason, and started towards Daryl. She felt Jason grab her arm. She immediately turned around and slapped him hard across the face. "You don't seem to get the message." She glared. "So I'll say it terms you'll understand." She braced herself for the words that were about to leave her mouth. "Fuck. Off." And with that, she walked back towards Daryl, who looked pissed, and surprised.

"You..." Daryl just didn't have words. He couldn't explain how proud he was of Carol right now. He heard her tell him off. It was magical. And he also found it very attractive. "I can't believe you told him to fuck off. Good job Carol." He finally got out.

"I just channeled my inner Daryl." Carol chuckled. "Hopefully he won't bother me anymore."

"If he does, I'll be the one to hit him." Daryl looked back at Jason, who was just completely shocked. He couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Dumbass."

Carol smiled at him. "Let's go inside." She looked Jason in the eye, and grabbed Daryl's hand before walking back inside.

* * *

Maggie smiled as she saw Daryl walk into the living room. She heard from Glenn that Carol had smacked Jason across the face. "So, I heard Carol set Jason straight." She said to him.

"Yeah, she did. Pretty damn proud." Daryl nodded.

"I also saw she was sporting that brooch. Are you two together now?" Maggie asked, her smile only growing.

"Excuse me?" Daryl asked, narrowing his eyes a little.

"You mean you're not together yet?" Maggie was shocked. "I figured after that, you two would be an item! Wow..."

"Ain't your damn buisness if we together or not, which we ain't." Daryl growled. It wasn't anyones buisness actually.

"Well, you should confess your feelings. I'm sure she'll feel the same way." Maggie suggested.

Daryl just scoffed, and walked away. He didn't need to talk anymore about that. He passed by Jason, he sent him a glare. "Bet ya feel real manly now, gettin' ya ass whooped by a girl." Daryl called over his shoulder. Jason grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. He tried to throw a punch, but Daryl stopped it with ease, and then brought his own fist down on Jason's face. "That's for hittin' on Carol." He punched him again. "That's for touchin' Carol." Again. "That's for grabbin' Carol." One last time. "And that's for fun. Now don't fuckin' look at me or Carol again. Or I'll kill you." He made his point clear, and walked up the stairs. Jason's face was bleeding. Daryl's knuckles were bleeding just a bit, but nothing he couldn't handle. He walked into the bedroom, and Carol was sitting on the bed reading. She looked up and noticed his hand.

"Oh my god, Daryl what happened?" She stood up, walking over to him. She grabbed his hand to get a closer look at it.

"Jason. Fucker wouldn't stop glarin' at me, so I said somethin' to him. Was gonna walk away, but he tried to punch me. I punched him real good. I think four times?" Daryl estimated.

"You didn't." Carol sighed. "Well, stay here. I'm going to go get a cloth and clean it off." She hurried out of the room. Daryl sighed and sat on the bed. She re-entered and sat down beside him. "I told you not to hit him." She grabbed his hand, and started wiping off the blood.

"He tried to hit me first. It was self defense. The fact that I enjoyed it don't matter." Daryl smirked. It felt so good to hit him. One day and he was already sick of him.

"Just don't do it again." Carol placed the cloth on the small bedside table. She kept her hand on his and looked him in the eyes. "It's just, I worry."

"Worry? Ya don't gotta worry 'bout nothin'." Daryl gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm always gonna be here to protect ya."

Carol smiled back at him. "I know."

"Should probably get some shut eye." Daryl said.

"Yeah." Carol nodded, removing her hand from his. She moved to her side of the bed. She pulled back the covers, and settled on the bed. Daryl laid down beside her.

"What ya did today." Daryl said quietly. "Real proud of ya."

Carol chuckled. "He was making me mad, and he put his hands on me. So I put a hand on him right back."

"That's my girl." Daryl couldn't believe he just said that outloud. He thought it, and couldn't control the words from escaping his mouth.

Carol's heart fluttered at his words. His girl. She bit her lower lip, and moved closer to him. Much like she was this morning. She didn't know how he would react. She snuggled up close to him, her heart beating fast. She hoped she didn't scare him off.

Daryl looked down at her as she snuggled up to him. He was scared now. How would she react if he put his arm around her? He was hesitant, but he gathered all his courage and slid his arm around her waist. He felt her relax. She didn't get mad or anything. He closed his eyes, a small smile on his face. This is what he wanted. He pulled her closer, before drifting off to sleep, the smile never leaving his face.

_**A/N: Bam. Double hit. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	10. Chapter 10

**One Night**

**Chapter 10**

_**A/N: Shit happens. Intense shit.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Ever since Daryl had beat Jason, he had never bothered her or him for that matter. Carol was glad to have the privacy, though Daryl still followed her every where. Not that she minded, she always loved his company. She smiled to herself as she sat in Hershel's room. He was taking off the bandage to see how the wound was coming along. It was bothering her less now, and she was thankful for that. The bandage came off, and Hershel carefully looked it over. "I think we can take the stitches out now." He looked up at her. "You'll just have to be careful as to not rip open the wound."

"I've been careful up until now." Carol smiled at him. "I'd like for the stitches to come off."

"Well it will just take a few moments. If you're okay with that." Hershel smiled, grabbing the small tool to pull out the stitches. She looked away from her arm, not wanting to see the stitches coming out. She saw Daryl leaning aganist the door frame. She smiled at him. He pushed himself off the door frame and walked over to her.

"So how's the arm?" Daryl asked, watching as Hershel took out the stitches. He remembered when he had to get stitches after that damn horse sent him flying.

"It's looking really good." Hershel responded. "Pretty soon she'll be fully healed."

"That's good." Daryl nodded. "Well, I came up to tell ya Rick wants everyone downstairs to discuss what we're gonna do next."

"Alright. Tell him we'll be down shortly." Hershel smiled to Daryl. He walked out of the room, heading downstairs to the living room where everyone was gathered.

"We'll wait for Carol and Hershel." Rick stated, looking to the stairs. A few moments later, the two of them appeared in the living room. Hershel stood beside Beth, and Carol took her place beside Daryl. "Alright." He started. "There hasn't been any walker activity here. I think we could be safe here for the time being. If anything was to happen, and we get separated like last time, it would be best to have a meeting place. Last time we were too careless, and we almost lost two very important people." He looked to Carol and then to Beth. "This time, we'll have a plan. I have decided that we must be paired up at all times. I've already decided on the pairs. Hershel and Beth, Maggie and Glenn, Me and Carl along with Judith, Carol and Daryl, and Michonne offered to take Jason."

'Be better off leaving him to the walkers.' Daryl thought to himself. He couldn't stop the small smirk on his face as he thought about it.

"Anyone have a problem with the pairings?" Rick asked, looking around the group.

"Wouldn't it be better for me to go with Carol?" Jason asked. "I mean, I know these streets like-"

"Not a chance in hell." Daryl growled.

"You are staying with Michonne, understand?" Rick glared at him. "You don't have a say in the decision we make. You're not part of our group yet. So far you have caused trouble. And if you keep it up, there will be a gun pointed at your head. Understand?" Jason just nodded, obviously annoyed. "Good." Rick looked back at the rest of the group. "I've highlighted the different routes everyone will take in the event of us being separated." He laid the map flat out on the table. He pointed out the different roads, discussing with each pair where to meet up. "Everyone understand?" The group nodded. "Okay. Meeting over." Rick folded up the map and placed it in his pocket.

* * *

"So Dixon." Carol smirked as he walked into the room. "Are you happy to have an excuse to be around me?" She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She laughed when he tensed and looked every direction but at her. "I'm only kidding." She took a step back. "Don't get too excited now."

"Maybe you're the one happy to have an excuse." Daryl mumbled, sitting down on the bed. He kicked off his boots and placed them against the wall.

"Maybe I am." She winked, crawling into bed.

Damn it, she was doing it again. He wondered if it was possible for her to stop being cute. And if she was able to stop flirting with him, atleast that's what he assumed it to be. He wasn't good at relationships, he couldn't give her anything if she was looking for that. She was probably just trying to tease him like she always did. She always loved to do that, he supposed it was her favorite passtime. "Just go to sleep woman." He muttered, trying to change the subject.

"Yes sir." She smiled, snuggling up against him. It had been a nightly routine now. She would snuggle up to him, and he would wrap his arm around her waist. She loved it. This was the only time she could ever get close to him. She sighed contently, falling asleep to the sound of his heart beat.

* * *

Carol awoke to the sound of a thump. She saw that Daryl was still fast asleep. Carefully, sure not to wake him, she removed his arm and got out of bed. She grabbed her knife just in case, and slowly made her way out of the room. She crept down the hallway, and saw the Beth and Hershel's door was open. That was unusual. She kept her back against the wall as she shuffled closer. When she peered inside, she saw Hershel on the floor. She quickly made her way over to him. "Hershel? Hershel can you hear me?" She asked, shaking him. It was no use. She rolled him over onto his back and pressed her ear to his chest. Thankfully, she heard a heart beat. That meant he was still alive. Had he just passed out? She noticed some blood running down his forehead. She looked closer at his head, seeing a small bump forming. Had he been knocked out? Who would do something like that? Then she heard banging coming from the closet door. She stood up and opened it. Beth fell to the floor. She looked up at Carol, her eyes red and puffy. "Beth? Beth what happened?"

"Jason." Beth choked out. "He came in here and... Daddy!" Beth ran over to her father, and kneeled down beside him. Jason. Carol felt her blood boil. She heard Beth gasp, and before she knew it, an arm wrapped around her kneck, and there was a pistol pressed agains the side of her head.

"You should've stayed in bed." He whispered in her ear, pulling her out of the room. He pointed the gun at Beth. "Don't you fucking move. And don't you dare say anything to anyone about this. Understnad? Or I'll kill him." He motioned to Hershel. "And I'll kill her too." He pressed the gun against her head again. Carol struggled to get free, but it was no use. He just tightened his grip around her neck. "Don't struggle sugar, it won't do you any good."

"You think you're a big man?" Carol choked out.

"Well, I just stole all your medical supplies. I'd say I'm pretty good." He smirked. "I knocked out your friend there too."

"You'll never get away with this." She hissed.

"I think I will. You see, I have a group of my own. They know where I am. They should be here by morning." He chuckled. "And with your medical supplies gone, and a bullet in your stomach, I don't think you'll survive for very long."

"Go ahead." She said. "Kill me. It won't make a difference anyway." She started laughing. "You'll never be half the man Daryl is." She figured that played a big part in this. He was probably pissed at the fact that Daryl had kicked his ass. It hurt his massive ego.

"Shut the fuck up bitch." He growled, presseing the gun against her head harder. "I will kill you right now."

"Good the fuck luck with that." Jason turned around to see Daryl pointing his crossbow at his head. "You best let her go before this bolt goes right through your head."

Jason just laughed. "You kill me, I kill her too. So you have a choice now." He smirked. "Kill me, you kill her too. Spare me, and she'll live. Not that she'll be here with you. I intend to take her back with me. After all, it's been a long time since we've had the company of a pretty little woman like her."

Daryl got ready to shoot, but he saw the look in Carol's eyes. She silently pleaded him to listen. Daryl lowered his crossbow. "Smart." Jason smirked. Daryl glanced behind Jason. There, he saw Rick creeping up behind him, his gun raised. "Now, I'll just take my woma-" Jason dropped to the floor, taking Carol with him. Daryl raced over to Carol, helping her to stand. He didn't care that everyone was in the hall now, he wrapped his arms around her. She returned the gesture, and buried her face in his chest. He honestly thought he was going to lose her, and that scared him. He knew her, she would do anything to protect the ones she loved, even if that meant dying.

"What the hell happened?" Glenn asked, fear in his eyes.

"Fucker knocked Hershel out. Carol must've heard, cause she got out of bed. I thought she was just goin' to the bathroom or somethin', so I didn't do anything. Then I heard Carol talking to Hershel. Knew somethin' was wrong. When I grabbed my crossbow and walked out into the hall, Jason had his arm wrapped around Carol's neck, nearly chokin' her. And he had a gun pressed against her head. I heard him say somethin' about havin' a group of guys that would be here by mornin'." Daryl finished explaining, and held Carol out at arms length. She looked unharmed, thankfully. Just frightened.

"He stole our medical supplies." Beth said, appearing in the doorway of their room. "He probably didn't have time to hide it."

"Glenn, Maggie, go find the supplies and put it in the trunk of the cars. Everyone else, grab as much stuff as possible. We need to move." Everyone agreed, and set about gathering as much as they could. They hurried out to the cars. Rick, Michonne, Carl and Beth in the car, Maggie, Glenn, Hershel and Beth in the truck. Daryl hopped on the motorcycle. Carol climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist. He started the bike, and her grip tightened.

Before leaving, he turned to her. "He didn't hurt ya... Did he?"

"Not anything to worry about." Carol reassured him. "I'm glad you showed up when you did."

"Never would've forgived myself if he took ya." Daryl confessed. Carol smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I knew, if he did take me, you'd find me. Don't worry about it. It's in the past now." Carol rested her head against his back. Daryl placed his hand over hers before taking off down the road. He was starting to think they should've stayed at the prison.

* * *

Daryl pulled over onto the side of the road. The others did the same. "Stay here." He ordered Carol, and got off the bike. He walked over to Rick's car. "So where do we go." Daryl asked. They had been driving for quite a while. They would need to find a place to settle for the night.

"I'm thinking we can head into the closest town and stay in one of the houses for the night. Then we'll figure out where to head to." Rick stated. Daryl nodded, and walked back to the bike.

"So what's going on?" Carol asked as he got back on the bike.

"Goin' to the next town. Stay in one of the houses, go from there." Carol nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist again.

* * *

Daryl and Rick crept up to the house, their weapons raised. Rick nodded, and Daryl slowly opened the door. They entered the house, scanning each room for any walkers. The lower floor was cleared. They walked up the stairs, checking the bedrooms. There was a walker in the master bedroom. Daryl took care of it. Now that it was clear, they hauled the walker out of the house and threw it into the backyard. Daryl ran out to tell everyone it was safe. They got out of the cars, and grabbed the necessary supplies. They left most in the cars, seeing as they would be leaving the next morning. Rick, Carl and Judith took the master. Hershel, Beth, Maggie and Glenn took the second largest room. Michonne took the couch, leaving Carol and Daryl with a small room in the attic. Carol's heart was heavy as they entered the attic. Kids toys were littered every where. She wondered what happened to the kid. If they made it out, or if they didn't.

"Somethin' wrong?" Daryl asked, kneeling down onto the small matress.

"I just wonder what happened to the kid." Carol sighed, lowering herself to the ground.

"Never know..." Daryl spoke softly. "Well, should get some shut eye. Gotta get on the movie early tomorrow." Carol nodded, lying down on the matress. It was pretty small. She was a lot closer to Daryl than she normally was, not that she was really complaining. She heard him sigh, and she looked up.

"What's wrong?" Carol asked, propping herself on her elbow.

"Just thinkin'. Nothin' important." Daryl tried to push the thought away.

"Daryl..." Carol placed a hand on his arm.

"I was thinkin'... I mean, he said that he had a group of men, and he was gonna take you back. I know what he was implyin' when he said it had been a while since they'd been around a woman... The thought of his hands on your, just makes my blood boil." Daryl growled. If Rick hadn't come along, he would've gotten away. And he surely would've raped her. That didn't settle well with him. It scared him. She didn't deserve anything like that. She'd been dealt a bad enough hand in life.

Carol sighed, moving her hand and gently placing it on his cheek. She moved his head so he was looking at her. "It's over now, Daryl." She gave him a small smile. "It's in the past. You saved me. If you hadn't baught Rick time, it would've been too late. You're the hero in all this. Don't think about the negative, think about the positive."

Daryl just nodded, placing his hand over hers.

"Good." Carol smiled. Her hand lingered on his face before she finally pulled away. She realized just how close they were. All she had to do was lean forward ever so slightly. She didn't want to make things awkward between them, so she refrained from kissing him, and just laid her head on his chest.

* * *

Daryl stared at the wooden ceiling. He could not sleep no matter how hard he tried. Carol had fallen asleep a long time ago. He couldn't get the image of Jason holding Carol at gunpoint. One wrong move and she could've been gone forever. He hadn't even had the chance to admit his feelings, whatever they were. Now that she was safe, he knew he didn't have the guts to admit anything to her. He probably never would until it was too late. Then he thought about on the motorcycle, when she kissed his cheek. That was the third time she had kissed him. The first was back at Hershel's farm. The second was that one day at the new farmhouse. His cheek had tingled for a long time after that. Her lips were so soft against his skin. He wondered what it would be like to actually kiss her. He had no experience with kissing, so if it were to happen, she would surely be disappointed and regret even doing it. He let out a breath, and looked down at her sleeping form. She was very beautiful, that was something he couldn't deny. He bit his lower lip, fighting an eternal struggle. He braved through it, and pressed his lips to her forehead. He noticed after kissing her forehead, she smiled. She was still fast asleep though. He sighed, waiting for the night to be over.

_**A/N: Welp. All who didn't trust him, you were right. You all get a free cookie. Yay. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	11. Chapter 11

**One Night**

**Chapter 11**

_**A/N: I have a genius idea guys. But I shalt not spoil the future chapter in which it takes place. But I think you'll like it, because it would be in character too. So yay! :) Anywho, enjoy this chapter!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol held tightly onto Daryl as they sped down the highway. They had passed a sign ten minutes ago that said the city of Madison was twenty minutes away. That was where Rick wanted to go. Carol however, was worried. They didn't know how many walkers would be in that town. What if it was overrun? They could be getting into something that they'd never return from. She did not want to die.

"Are ya okay back there?" Daryl called over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Carol nodded.

"It's just you're holdin' on a lil' tight." Carol immediately loosened her hold around him. She hadn't realized she was holding onto him that tight.

"Sorry." She apolagized.

"S'fine." Daryl said, and sped up the motorcycle.

* * *

"Where do you plan on going, Rick?" Michonne asked as they drove down the highway. "Houses aren't exactly safe from walkers these days."

"We look for something we can fortify." Rick stated, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Are you actually going to fortify it this time?" Carl asked from the back. "The last time didn't go too well. We almost lost Beth."

"Carl, now is not the time." Rick sighed. "And we could've lost Carol too. We nearly did. Beth survived because of her." He knew his son had a thing for the farmers daughter. But he also knew Carl was far too young for Beth.

"I'm only saying." Carl huffed, turning his attention back to Judith. "We'll need new clothes for Judith when we get to town. She's nearly a year old, and is growing out of her onesies."

"We'll deal with that when we get settled in." Rick said, staring ahead at the town. "Well, we're here. Keep an eye out for any place we could fortify." Rick gripped the steering wheel, and focused on the buildings that came into view. They passed a few appartment buildings, but nothing really looked promising. There were a few walkers scattered around, but they weren't much of a threat. Then he saw it. A fenced in area, with a beat down sign. From what was left of the sign, it said "Retirement home". This could be it. He honked the horn, letting everyone know to pull over. He stepped out of the car, and walked over to the fence. There was a large chain wrapped around the front gates. The bars on the fence were stridy. Not easy to break at all. "I think we could make this place safe." Rick looked through the bars at the building. It was almost perfect. "Daryl, you had bolt cutters didn't you?"

"They should be in the truck." Daryl replied, looking at the building. Looks like they would be staying in an old folks home. Wonderful. Rick came back with the tool in his hand. Daryl watched as Rick cut the chain. "What are we gonna use to lock it? Don't suppose ya have extra chains and shit."

"With any luck, there will be a hardware store somewhere in this city. We go there, find some chains and maybe a lock. We still have a few hours of daylight left. Let's get settled in, and then find that hardware store. We also need clothes for Judith. So that's another thing we can look for on this run." Rick pushed open the gate. He walked back to the car, and drove it inside. They parked the cars in the little loop infront of the building. Before getting the supplies, Rick, Daryl, and Glenn went to check the large building, and make sure there were no walkers in it. The inside looked nearly untouched. They made their way into the entertainment area. It was horrifying, what they saw.

"Oh god..." Glenn ran back outside. It was obvious he left to throw up.

"What the hell..." Rick shook his head.

"Staff probably did it... Outbreak probably scared 'em, after all, they were all close to death anyway." Daryl sighed. "Shot everyone before shootin' themselves."

"It's just sick..." Rick rubbed the back of his neck. There were so many bodies scattered on the floor. Each of them had bullet wounds to the head. "Atleast we know there are no walkers in here..."

"Atleast we know." Daryl nodded. "Better get 'em outta here."

"I'll go get Glenn." Rick turned around and headed outside. Everyone was standing around the cars. "It's safe." Rick called to them. "Come on Glenn, we have to move the bodies out back and burn them."

"Okay..." Glenn sighed, and stood up straight. Carol walked up to the two of them.

"What bodies?" She asked.

Rick sighed. "In the entertainment room, all the bodies of those who worked here and the elderly..."

"Oh god." Carol raised a hand to her mouth. "That's awful."

"We better hurry. We're losing daylight. We still have a run to make." Rick walked back inside, Glenn and Carol following him.

* * *

"That was awful." Carol sighed, looking at the burning bodies. They had finally finished hauling everyone out. Daryl came up behind her, placing a hand on her arm.

"Rick and I are goin' on the run now." He said.

Carol turned around. "Just you two?" He nodded. "No way." Carol shook her head. "I'm going with you guys. We don't know what this city is like. There could be a herd somewhere and you wouldn't even know. No, I'm going too."

Daryl did not want her to go with them at all. The fact that they didn't know if there was a herd out there is exactly why. He didn't want her to be in danger. But he knew her, she was stubborn as all hell, just like him. "Fine. Ya can go, but ya better watch your ass and stay alert." He growled, stomping off to find Rick. Carol had a satisfied smile on her face as she followed him. She always won.

* * *

"Be fuckin' careful, ya understand me?" Daryl glared at her as they approached the hardware store.

"I know what to do." Carol gripped her knife, ready to strike as soon as they entered the building. Daryl looked to Rick, who gave him a small nod. He pushed open the door, and already they were greeted with four hungry walkers. Daryl took out two with his crossbow, while Carol and Rick took care of the last two. She looked around the large store.

"Alright, we're just here to get the lock and chains. Don't wander off anywhere. Carol, are you alright with staying here and taking care of any walkers that try to get in the store?" Carol nodded. "Good. Daryl, let's go." Daryl didn't like the idea of leaving her alone, but what Rick says, goes. The two of them wandered into the store, looking at the signs above to find out which isle they had to go to. The chains ended up being at the back of the store, which made Daryl very uneasy. If something were to happen to Carol, no way would he get to her on time. Rick grabbed a large, heavy chain. "Alright, let's find a lock and get out of here."

"Gladly." Daryl backtracked, scanning the shelves for a lock. The sooner they got back to Carol, the better.

Carol took out one walker since they had left. She was glad for that. She waited for them to return, hopefully soon, because she hated standing here. The sun was already starting to set, and they needed to get clothes for Judith. "Let's go." Rick said, walking past her. She placed a hand over her heart. He scared her half to death.

"We still need the clothes, Rick." Carol stated, following him. Daryl walked past her, and got into the truck. Carol sighed, and climbed in beside him. "You two can wait in the truck while I get the clothes if you want."

"Hell no." Daryl responded quickly.

"I'll stay on watch while you two go in the store." Rick offered, backing out of the parking lot. They drove down the street, looking for the baby store. Ten minutes later, they found it. "You two, get going. Don't be long."

Carol jumped out of the truck and ran to the door. She peered inside. No sign of any walkers. She opened the door, knife in her hand. Daryl had his crossbow raised, ready to shoot anything that moved. After seeing no walkers in the store, Carol put her knife back and started looking at the clothes. She grabbed a couple outfits, making sure they were large enough for the growing child. Looking up, she saw Daryl picking up some containers of formula. You could never have too many. She noticed a sign that said "toys in the back". Walking over, she turned and headed into the back room. Daryl didn't know she had disappeared. She browsed around at the toys, trying to find one she could give to Judith. The kid deserved something else besides human hands to play with. She picked up a little stuffed animal. That could work. She smiled, remembering how much Sophia loved stuffed toys. When she was little, it was all she could talk about. Everyday she wanted a stuffy. Carol only wished she could get them for her. Ed forbid anymore toys for Sophia. The poor kid only had three toys in total. That was no way for a child to live. Carol was so caught up in her thoughts about Sophia, she didn't notice the two walkers closing in on her.

* * *

Daryl looked around, where the fuck was Carol? He stayed silent, listening for any sounds of movement. He heard the moans. "Fuck." Daryl growled, following the sounds. He saw a back room, and made a run for it. When he entered the toy area, he saw a walker seconds away from ripping a chunk out of Carol's shoulder. He shot and arrow right through it's skull. "Carol!" He shouted. Why the fuck was she just standing there. She came back to reality, and stumbled backwards. She reached for her knife, but the walker was too close. Damn it, his crossbow was stuck. He grabbed his hunting knife and grabbed the walker, throwing it against the wall before jamming the blade into it's head. "Carol what the fuck were you thinkin'! Just fuckin' standin' there!" Daryl shouted at her. "Ya could've been fuckin' killed! I told ya to stay alert damn it! When are ya ever gonna listen to what people tell ya?"

Carol let him shout at her. She had done a stupid thing, she knew that. She should've checked the area first. She deserved the angry lecture. He held his hand out for her, and she took it. He pulled her up with a lot of force. Anger was clear on his face, but his eyes, revealed that he was scared. It tugged at her heart. He muttered something before storming off. She quickly followed him. The ride back was filled with an awkward silence. She hated every second of it.

_**A/N: This is a really short chapter. I'm sorry. I'll start working on the next one right away, which hopefully should be longer.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	12. Chapter 12

**One Night**

**Chapter 12**

_**A/N: I did not like the last chapter. It was short, and it was filler. But this one, I'm sure we can all enjoy it. Because this is where my genius idea takes place. It's supposed to be a lot like the characters would be, even if at first it might not seem like it. I don't know anymore. You just tell me if you like it or not.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl had avoided her all the next day. It was killing her. He couldn't still be mad at her, right? Last night he hadn't talked to her. He still stayed in the same room as her, but he kept his back to her the whole time. Never even said goodnight. She missed being close to him. And she missed being in his arms while she slept. He was gone before she woke up. The only interaction they had was when she handed him his food. Other than that, nothing. She sighed, holding Judith in her arms as she fed her a bottle. "Atleast you still like me, isn't that right?" Carol smiled. Judith always made her smile, even when she was feeling horrible. "You're just a cutie, yes you are!"

Rick chuckled as he walked into the room. Carol looked up at him with a smile. "She really likes you." He said, sitting down beside her. "More than she likes me."

"I doubt that." Carol placed the now empty bottle on the table. "You're her father. She loves you the most." Carol handed her off to Rick. "She only likes me because I'm the one who feeds her." Carol giggled.

"I came in here to ask you something, actually." Rick turned his attention to her. "Did something happen in that store yesterday? I've just never seen you and Daryl so distant before. Usually he never leaves your side."

Carol sighed, looking down at her hands. "I was stupid and didn't pay attention to my surroundings. I almost got bit because I was too busy thinking about Sophia. Daryl made it just in time, and then he just, snapped. He hasn't spoken to me since." She felt a hand rest on her back. She looked up at Rick with a sad smile.

"He was probably worried. The thought of losing you, it probably nearly killed him. I don't know if you realize, or even if he realizes, but he loves you Carol." Rick gave her a reassuring smile. "And as for not talking to you today, he was probably mad at himself for yelling at you. You know how he is."

"Oh Rick, he doesn't love me." Carol chuckled.

"The both of you are in such denial." Rick sighed, a smile on his face. "You're both so stubborn no wonder you act like this."

"Hey now." Carol grinned.

"Sorry." Rick laughed. "Only stating the facts." He glanced down at Judith, who had now fallen asleep. "Look, maybe talk to him or something? I'm sure he'll stop being so stubborn if you try and talk to him. And if not, well don't worry, it will blow over soon. He can't stay away from you for too long." Rick winked, giving her a little nudge.

Carol laughed. "Thanks Rick." She gave him a hug from the side. "I'll talk to him later. Right now, I've got out supper to make."

* * *

"Daryl?" Carol asked as he walked into the room. He looked at her, but didn't say anything. She huffed, and walked over to him. "Daryl Dixon." She said sternly. This time he held her gaze. "I want you to explain to me why you are ignoring me. Are you mad at me? If you are, just say so. Your silent treatment is just plain childish."

He avoided her stern gaze, turning his attention to the floor. He was being childish, he knew that. She just scared him yesterday. He walked over to the bed, but she caught up with him and turned him around so he would face her. "Alright damn it." Daryl growled. "Ya scared me yesterday, is that what ya wanted to hear? If I had gotten there two seconds later, ya would be dead right now."

"I know that." Carol remained calm. "I was stupid. I was too busy thinking about Sophia, I didn't even notice the walkers. I'm sorry, Daryl. I didn't want to scare you like that."

She was thinking about Sophia? Now he just felt like a jackass. "I uh... I didn't know that." He looked down at the ground.

"I didn't expect you to." Carol smiled. "You could've just talked to me." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you, you know."

Daryl looked at her through his hair. "Really?"

"I swear." Carol sighed in relief. "But you saved me. I owe my life to you, again. I don't know how many times you have saved me. I've lost track since we've known each other. You're a good man Daryl."

"Ain't nothin'." Daryl shrugged.

"That's where you're wrong." Carol glanced down before looking back at him. Her eyes rested on his lips for a few seconds, and then back at his blue eyes. She thought about kissing him. She wondered how it would be. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it. She focused back on reality. Was it getting hotter? She saw him lick his lips. It was definately getting hotter. "Don't hate me." She whispered.

"The fuck ya tal-" Daryl was cut off by her lips. What the fuck was happening.

Carol recieved no response from him. She pulled away from him slightly. He looked completely frozen. Had she done the wrong thing?

Daryl had no idea what was going on right now. She just kissed him. Something he had wanted for a while now. But he froze. He hadn't expected it. Truth was, he didn't really know how to kiss. But he wanted to kiss her. He just didn't have the guts to make a move. He found himself staring at her lips, silently begging for them to touch his again.

* * *

Carol wasn't sure if he was staring at her lips or not. Did he want her to kiss him? What if he did? She decided to take the chance. She wrapped her arms around his neck before returning to his lips. He reacted this time. She could tell he was inexperienced, but she didn't care. She moved her lips slowly against his, allowing him to catch up. His hands rested on her hips. She was amazed that this was actually happening. She ran a hand through his hair, and deepened the kiss. It hadn't taken him long to figure it out, and soon he was taking control. His lips were so soft. She felt his tongue run along her lower lip. She was surprised by his bold move, but graciously allowed him access. His tongue explored her mouth, and she couldn't help the small moan that escaped. She started pushing him backwards, and they fell back onto the bed. She straddled his lap, never once breaking the heated kiss.

* * *

Daryl was starting to get nervous. Her straddling his lap coupled with the intense kissing, it was so much happening at once. He could feel himself growing hard. Once she found out, she would probably be appalled. This was going to lead straight to embarrassment.

* * *

As Carol straddled his lap, she could feel him through his jeans. The fact that she had that effect on him, it drove her crazy. She started to rock her hips against him, wondering what it would be like without their clothes on.

* * *

Daryl groaned as she started to move against him. It was too much for him. "Stop." Daryl pulled away from her. Too late. He pushed her off, grabbed a new pair of pants and ran into the bathroom. His face was red with embarrassment. Fuck. Why couldn't he control himself? Now he just felt stupid.

Carol was a little confused at first. One moment he was kissing her like crazy, and the next he was running away. She watched as he walked out of the bathroom, the look of shame on his face. She hadn't seen him grab a new pair of pants as he ran to the bathroom, but when he walked out, he had a fresh new pair of pants on. Now she understood. She couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. She really had an effect on him. She giggled to herself before turning her attention back to him. He wouldn't even look at her. He just crawled under the covers of the bed and turned his back to her. "Aw, Daryl." She looked over his shoulder. "Daryl, don't be embarrassed." She pleaded, resting her chin on his shoulder. "If you're worried about me being disgusted, I'm not. I honestly don't care." Still, nothing. "Daryl please, look at me." He glanced up at her. She sighed and moved his head so he had to look at her. He looked so ashamed. She gave him a reassuring smile. "Believe me Daryl. I'm not mad." She bit her bottom lip. "Are you mad at me?"

"Fuck no I ain't mad at ya." Daryl stated, finally speaking to her after that little event.

"Good." Carol sighed in relief. "Do you think... We can go back to the way we were before yesterday..." He smiled and turned over. He wrapped his arm around her waist. "That's more like it..." She rested her head near his, and closed her eyes. What happened tonight, she didn't know what it meant for them. She hoped it meant taking another step in their relationship. She wouldn't know. But if it didn't go further than this, she was glad that they atleast shared this night together.

_**A/N: Okay... This is even shorter than the last chapter. But I felt it was better to end it here okay! Just be happy that it's a chapter! R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	13. Chapter 13

**One Night**

**Chapter 13**

_**A/N: Being honest here I don't know what to do in this chapter so I'm just going to wing it. Yep. Wing it. This will be the last update until next Sunday. I know I said my last update for A Secret was the last update of any story but I have some time on my hands and I just want to write. Yeppers. Enjoy.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol woke up to an empty bed. She figured after last night he would shy away from her for a while. She was okay with that. She understood that this sort of thing scared him and made him uncomfortable. She was just glad they did what they did. She threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched. She could smell breakfast. Standing up, she slipped her shoes on before heading out towards the kitchen. Beth was distributing the food onto the plates. "Morning Carol." She smiled when she saw her standing in the doorway.

"Morning." Carol smiled back and walked up to her. "Where is everyone? I didn't see them in the main area."

"The guys are outside looking for any weak spots." Beth explained. "Daddy is still sleeping."

"What about Michonne and Maggie?" Carol asked.

"They're outside too." Beth turned her head as they heard the cries of Judith.

"I've got her." Carol walked out of the kitchen and towards Rick and Carl's room. "Hey there cutie." Carol smiled, walking over to the makeshift crib. She picked her up and tried to calm her cries. "It's okay sweetheart." She said quietly, walking out of the room. "How about we make you a bottle? Would you like that?" She chuckled at Judith's little sounds, and walked back into the kitchen. She saw that Beth was already making a bottle. She handed it to Carol. "Thanks Beth." Carol held the bottle for Judith. "Want me to go tell them breakfast is ready?"

"Yeah that would be great." Beth nodded.

"Okay, we'll be right back." Carol walked towards the front doors. She saw them all standing around one part of the fence. As she neared the group, she saw that they were looking at a couple of walkers in the distance. "Why are we staring at the walkers?" She asked.

"We're debating whether or not to take them out." Rick explained, keeping his eyes on the walkers. "They don't seem like much of a threat, but you can never be too sure these days."

"Well, were there any problems with the fence around this place?" She scanned the fence, and then returned her gaze back to the group. Her eyes caught Daryl's stare, and she sent him a warm smile.

"No, the fence is fine. Thankfully." Rick turned to look at her. "If they get too close, we'll take care of them."

"Sounds like a plan." Carol nodded. "Anyway, breakfast is ready." Rick thanked her and the group started walking back to the front doors of the retirement home. Daryl stayed behind with her. "It's funny." Carol chuckled. "I thought I'd be much older before living in a retirement home."

"Ain't like that anymore." Daryl shrugged, peering over her shoulder to look at Judith. "She's gonna start walkin' soon I bet. Then we're fucked."

"Yeah, someone will have to keep an eye on her at all times." Carol smiled at the little girl. "I'd gladly take the role."

"Bet ya would." Daryl gave her a small smile. "Uhm... 'Bout last night..."

Carol turned around to face him. "I understand." Carol smiled at him. "I know that relationships aren't your thing. I'm okay if you want to just stay friends."

"Well... I uh..." He was interrupted by Beth's voice.

"Are you guys coming? Breakfast will be cold!" Carol placed a hand on his arm before walking back inside with Judith.

"Fuck." Daryl growled, and followed her.

* * *

Carol laughed as Judith played drums on the hardcover book she was reading. It was adorable the way she smiled at the sound. "Ya got a jam session goin' on in here?" Daryl asked as he walked into the room he shared with Carol.

"Pretty much." Carol grinned. When Judith heard Daryl's voice, she stopped what she was doing and just stared at him. It was like she was studying him, trying to remember who he was. After a few seconds of staring, she giggled and started crawling over to him. "She likes you." Carol watched as Judith grabbed Daryl's pants and attempted to stand up. After a few attempts, she was finally on her feet, using Daryl's legs as support. "It's at times like these where I would run and get the camera to take a picture." She looked up at Daryl who was smiling down at the little girl. It warmed Carol's heart to see him with Judith. Judith reached her arms up, waiting for Daryl to pick her up. Carol could feel tears in her eyes. "She really likes you."

Daryl smiled. "Yeah. I really like her too." He turned his attention to Carol. "Are ya... Cryin'?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Carol wiped away the stray tear. "It's just a sweet sight is all." She stood up and walked over to them. "You're a real cutie aren't you." She poked Judith in the stomach. She loved that little girl's giggles.

"I uh... Came in here to talk to ya." Daryl looked away awkwardly. How the hell did he tell her he wanted to be more than just friends. It wasn't his thing normally, but he really liked her.

"Oh?" Carol looked at him. "What about?"

"Yesterday... Before ya say anythin', I don't wanna be just..." Damn it. He could here Merle calling him a pussy. It wasn't so easy. "I don't wanna be just friends." He said so quietly, that Carol almost didn't hear him.

"Are you sure?" She asked. She didn't want him to think he had to do this. He just nodded.

"But uh... Don't tell anyone..." He didn't want the others to know yet. They would be all over him and he didn't need that. He liked being a loner still, aside from her. He only spent time with her.

"Whatever you want." Carol smiled. She looked around before returning her gaze to him. "Uhm, am I allowed to kiss you right now or not?" She blushed a little. It was a stupid question, she knew that. But she still thought she should ask him. He nodded, a small smile on his face. Carol grinned and leaned up, placing a soft kiss on his lips. She heard Judith whine. "Oh I'm sorry sweetie. Do you want one too?" Carol chuckled and kissed Judith's forehead. The little girl squealed and reached out for Carol. She took her from Daryl's arms. "How about we go put you down for a nap, hm?" She walked towards the door, and turned back to look at Daryl. "I'll be in the kitchen making supper if you need me." She smiled, and left the room.

* * *

Daryl sat on a bench outside, watching the gate. Though this place seemed secure, they still had to keep watch. No matter where they went, they'd always have to keep watch. He saw a few walkers wandering the streets, but they didn't seem to notice him. They weren't a threat. The sun was setting, and everyone would be going to sleep soon. He had volunteered to take the first part of the night watch. "Hey." He turned his head as Carol sat down beside him. "Mind if I take watch with you?"

"Ya need sleep." Daryl turned back to the fence.

"Well so do you, but you're still out here aren't you?" Carol raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on her face. Damn she was stubborn.

"I'm fine without sleep." Daryl said.

"So am I." Carol crossed her arms. She was good, he'd give her that.

"Fine, don't complain to me when ya get all crabby." Daryl shrugged.

"I won't be crabby." Carol chuckled. "You don't have to worry about that." She looked at the fence, hugging her arms to keep warm. She should've brought a sweater or something. Carol guessed it was around October now. Winter would be here very soon. "Kind of cold out." She said, looking at the sunset.

Daryl glanced over at her. She looked cold. He was okay with the cold, he could handle it. He figured he should do something, he couldn't just let her freeze. He was nervous, what if someone came outside? He chewed on his nail, thinking about whether he should or not. Fuck it. He could just yell at whoever questioned him. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "Can't let ya freeze." He murmered. Carol rested her head on his shoulder, and relaxed. His body was more than enough to keep her warm.

* * *

Beth wandered around, looking for Carol. She wasn't in the kitchen, the main area, or her room. She walked up to Rick. "Do you know where Carol is? I can't find her anywhere."

Rick chuckled. "Daryl is on watch. I'm sure he knows where she is." Beth nodded and ran off to find Daryl. She stepped outside, and was immediately greeted with cold air. She looked around, and saw the two of them sitting on the bench. She noticed that Daryl's arm was wrapped around Carol, and her head was on his shoulder. It was adorable. She grinned, and walked back inside. "Did he know?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, he did. I won't bother her though." Beth stepped past Rick. She wasn't going to tell anyone what she saw, just incase it wasn't really anything. She wasn't one to spread rumors after all.

* * *

Daryl didn't know how long ago Carol had fallen asleep. He just thought it was the normal comfortable silence they always had. The shift was over soon, he had to wake her. "Carol." He whispered. Nothing. "Carol ya gotta wake up." Still nothing. He shook her a little, and the only response was an angry groan. "C'mon woman." He shook her more.

"Just five more minutes." Carol groaned, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

"Not five more minutes, now."

"You're mean." Carol sighed in frustration, sitting up straight.

"What happened to no complainin' and bein' crabby?" Daryl asked, standing up. "Now c'mon, gotta go inside so ya can sleep in a real bed."

Carol stood up and followed him inside. She was very tired. She flopped onto the bed as soon as they entered the room. "So warm and comfortable." She sighed, hugging the covers. "I think this is what heaven feels like."

Daryl couldn't help but laugh at her statement. He kicked off his shoes and laid down beside her. She crawled over to him and cuddled up against him, wrapping an arm around him. He stared up at the ceiling before turning his attention to her.

"Well, goodnight Daryl." Carol smiled up at him.

"Night." Daryl thought about kissing her goodnight. It was something couples did, right? He found it so strange, calling them that. He never thought the day would come when they would be one. He didn't really have time to think before she gently placed her lips on his.

"I stand corrected..." She said quietly. "That is what heaven feels like." She smiled and laid her head on Daryl's chest. He placed his hand on her back and it wasn't long before she was out like a light.

_**A/N: I hate the shortness. I can't stop with the short chapters! But this one was filler and just ugh short. But I hope you enjoyed either way. R&R lovelies. See you in a week.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	14. Chapter 14

**One Night**

**Chapter 14**

_**A/N: I have no idea what I'm doing. I know what to do for A Secret, I have way-off-into-the-future plans for One Day At A Time, but this one, nope. No idea. WINGING IT.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol kept and eye on the pot of instant potatoes. It had been a while since she made some for dinner, and with the squirrel Daryl had caught in the forest just on the outskirts of town, she had been able to make more of a meal. She had set some meat aside for Judith. They wanted to see if she liked eating solids yet, because all they had been feeding her was a bottle. It was time for a change. She opened the lid, and let the steam escape before looking into the pot. All done. She turned off the stove, and emptied the potatoes into a large bowl. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her waist, and she nearly had a heart attack. She turned around to see Daryl, grinning at her reaction. "Daryl!" She hissed, pushing him away. "Don't sneak up on me like that." She returned to getting enough plates for everyone.

"Sorry." Daryl chuckled. "But the way ya nearly jumped outta your skin, pretty damn funny."

Carol just turned around and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Not like anyone was around anyway." Daryl shrugged, leaning against the counter. "Supper almost ready? Gettin' kinda hungry."

"Maybe I shouldn't give you any." Carol placed the meat on a plate beside the potatoes, and grabbed the both of them. "Go put these in the center of the table." She handed them to him, and heard him walk away. "And don't eat any of it!" She heard a small "aw" before he was gone. She grabbed the stack of plates and walked out of the kitchen and into the dining area. Daryl was already sitting there, waiting for his food. "Be patient." She whispered, giving him a quick kiss on his head before setting the table. The two of them hadn't been together long, but they had managed to keep their little love affair a secret from everyone else. She was okay with hiding it. In all honesty, she wasn't really ready to announce it to people yet either. She didn't really feel like hearing the "I told you so" from Maggie.

"Oh boy, I thought I smelled something good." Glenn walked into the room, a big smile on his face. He reached for the meat, but Carol slapped his hand.

"Wait for everyone else Glenn." She laughed.

"Watch out, she's gettin' violent." Daryl smirked as Glenn sat down, a defeated look on his face.

"So I've noticed." He turned his head as Maggie walked into the room. "Carol won't let me eat." He complained.

"And neither will I." Maggie grinned over at Carol. "She's the chef. What she says goes honey."

"Damn." Glenn hoped everyone would get here soon. He was starving.

* * *

"I can help you if you want." Beth walked into the kitchen where Carol was washing the dishes. "I mean, you cooked, the least I can do is clean."

"I'm fine." Carol smiled at Beth. "You've been watching Judith all day, you need a break."

"She really liked the squirrel meat, didn't she?" Beth smiled.

"Yes she did." Carol laughed. "She is a real cutie that one. I remember the first time Sophia ever tried meat. She made this face of total disgust." Carol smiled sadly at the memory. She still missed her little girl more than anything. Every day without her was painful, but she got by. She got by because she still had one good thing in this world. And he was outside on watch right now. "Actually... Could you finish up the dishes for me Beth?" Carol asked.

"Sure thing." Beth nodded, and walked to the sink. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll cook tomorrow. You've been cooking every meal this week. You are the one who needs a break."

"Thanks Beth." Carol placed a hand on the girls arm before walking out of the room. She headed to the front doors. She saw Daryl pacing back and forth along the fence. She moved towards him. "Something wrong?" She asked.

"Just thinkin'." Daryl shrugged.

"You tend to pace when you think." Carol chuckled. "Or chew on your nails. I think it's cute." She smiled up at him. He looked down at the ground, trying to hide his blush. She loved how shy he was when she called him out like that. "So, when is your watch over?"

"Got 'bout another half hour, why?" Daryl looked up at her.

"Just wondering." She smiled. She had a genius idea on how to freak him out a bit. It would be adorable. She started to walk away. "Hey." She stopped and looked back at him. "When you're done, meet me in the bedroom." She winked, and continued on her way. She glanced back, and saw him completely frozen. She laughed silently to herself as she opened the front doors and went back inside.

* * *

Daryl froze at her words. Meet her in the bedroom? Did she mean... He wasn't ready for that. He couldn't do that. He didn't know _how _to do that. When he was younger Merle always told him he needed to man up and get with a girl already. The only experience he had was some drunk bimbo who basically threw herself at him. He didn't know what he was doing then either. But he actually cared for Carol. God this was going to be an embarrassment. He couldn't give her anything. He was fucked now. He glanced down, and realized he was chewing on his nail. Fuck.

"Hey Daryl." Rick spoke, breaking through his thoughts. "You've been out here for a while, why don't I take over?" Oh no. Already? He still had a half hour left. It was too soon. He wasn't mentally prepared.

"Uh... Ya sure ya don't wanna spend time with Carl and Judith for a while? I can take your shift too." He wasn't ready to face Carol.

"No, I insist. Go inside and relax." Rick smiled, patting Daryl on the back. "I've got it."

"Okay..." Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and walked to the front doors. He would probably stay clear of the rooms for a while yet. Maybe he'd hang out in the kitchen for a while. Or go out into the back. Some place that wasn't his room. But if he avoided her, she would be mad at him. He didn't want that either. Fuck, why did she have to do that?

"Come on lil' brother. Stop bein' such a pussy and go fuck your woman already." He heard Merle's voice in his head. Daryl bit his lip, trying to decide what to do. It was getting late, maybe he could just say he was tired. Maybe that wasn't even what she meant? But the way she winked after she said it... Damn it. Daryl decided to just brave through it. She wouldn't throw herself at him and force him to do anything. She would wait. He sighed, and marched towards their room.

* * *

Carol sat on the bed, reading a book. When she heard the door open, she smiled. "Hey." She greeted him.

"Hey..." Daryl avoided looking at her and placed his crossbow in the corner of the room.

"Done watch so early? I thought you had a while yet." Carol said, returning her attention to the book. A romance novel. She loved reading them.

"Rick took over." Daryl sat down on the bed. "So uh... What did ya want to meet in here for..." Even he could hear the nervousness in his voice.

Carol smiled, and set the book aside. She came up behind him, and started massaging his shoulders. "Whatever you want." She kissed his cheek. "I just wanted to spend some time alone with you, thats all."

"Really?" Daryl felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Yes." Carol giggled, moving to sit beside him. "I was just teasing you earlier. I knew it would make you freak out. Sorry if I scared you."

"I hate you." Daryl smirked, nudging her.

"I know you do." Carol grinned, pressing her lips to his. She pulled away from him, and he pouted a little. She smiled, lying back on the bed. She pulled him down with her, locking lips with him again. Just as things started to get a little heated, there was a knock at the door. Daryl growled, and got off the bed. Carol sat up, and quickly grabbed the book. She started reading it, pretending like nothing was going on. Daryl opened the door, and Rick was standing there.

"I need to talk to you." He said, stepping inside. "Well, Carol actually." Carol looked up from the book. "I found a map of the town and it's stores in one of the rooms. There is a baby store on the other side of town. I just looked at all our supplies, and we're running low on diapers for Judith. And she could use more clothes. She's completely out grown all her old clothes, and we only got a few outfits on our last run. I was also thinking we could get her a high chair. Now, I know you know what to look for, since you spend a lot of time with Judith." Carol listened to Rick speak. She had a feeling of what he was asking. "Tomorrow, I wanted you a to come with me on a run to that store."

"Just the two of ya?" Daryl asked. "That don't sound right. If you're goin', I'm comin' too."

"No." Rick stopped him. "We will be able to move faster just the two of us. In and out, nothing to it."

"If it's what you think is best." Carol agreed. Daryl looked back at her angrily.

"Good." Rick nodded. "We leave after breakfast tomorrow."

"Noted." Carol said as Rick walked away. Daryl shut the door and turned to her.

"What the fuck are ya thinkin'?" He asked, walking over to the bed. "Last time ya went on a run ya got distracted and I nearly lost ya. This time I ain't gonna be there to save ya."

"Daryl, if we need supplies for Judith, than I have to go. Rick wants me to, and I plan on going. That last time, it was a one time thing. I know how to protect myself." She protested.

"We don't know what is on the other side of town. We ain't explored the whole town yet. Only one side of it." Daryl growled.

"I will be fine Daryl." Carol got off the bed and stood infront of him. She placed a hand on his cheek. "Nothing will happen."

"Ya don't know that." Daryl sighed, looking down at the ground.

Carol leaned up and kissed his lips. "You know me Daryl, I can't die." She smiled.

"Nine lives?" Daryl asked, a small smile on his face.

Carol laughed. "Nine lives."

* * *

Carol grabbed her knife from the bedside table. It was time to leave. She placed it in her belt and turned around. Daryl was standing in the doorway. "Ya don't have to go."

Carol smiled and walked over to him. "Yes, I do." She wrapped her arms around his neck. She glanced behind him to make sure no one was around. She gave him a gentle kiss, letting her lips linger before pulling away. "Don't worry about me. And, if something does go wrong, and I don't come back, please, don't give up. You promise me, that you'll keep fighting for me. You'll keep living for the both of us."

"Don't say that." Daryl shook his head. He didn't want to think about losing the only person he had left.

"Promise me." She looked at him with watery eyes. Of course she knew the dangers of this run. For all they knew, that side of town could be overrun. She had a fifty fifty chance. She just hoped it worked out in her favor.

"I promise." Daryl nodded.

"Good." She pecked his lips and let him go. "Now, try not to worry too much."

"I can't promise that." Daryl stepped aside, letting her pass him. They headed down the stairs to where Rick was waiting. "Be careful out there." Daryl said to the both of them.

"Ready?" Rick asked Carol. She nodded. "Alright. Let's go." The two of them, ran out to the truck. Daryl unlocked the lock, and pulled off the chain. They drove out, and he quickly locked it back up again. He watched as the blue truck disappeared down the road. God, he hoped everything went well.

* * *

"Go!" Carol yelled at Rick. "You can draw them away. I'll hide out in the storage room." Rick didn't want to leave her alone, but the way things were looking, he had no other choice.

"You make sure to stay there!" Rick said before running off to the truck. Carol turned around and ran right into the storage room. She shut the door and locked it, hoping no walkers would get in. She felt a hand cover her mouth and her back was suddenly pressed up against someone.

"Well, if it isn't the little widow from the prison." Fear washed over her. She knew who it was. "I've been looking for you for a long time." The man chuckled, and started dragging her out the emergency exit.

* * *

Rick ran back into the store, taking down a walker before heading to the storage room. He tried to open it, but it was locked. He knocked on the door. "Carol?" He shouted. Nothing. "Carol?! Unlock the door we have to move before more of them come!" Still, silence. He backed up, and kicked down the door. She was no where to be found. "Carol?!" He yelled, looking around. He ran out the emergency exit, looking around. There was no sign of her. "Damn it!" He kicked the ground. He shouldn't have left her alone. Then, something caught his eye. Tire tracks. The ground was mostly dirt, so he could see the tracks fairly easy. He also saw what looked like shoe prints. And some of the prints look like the person had struggled. He pieced them together. Someone was in that storage room, and they took Carol. "Shit." He cursed, and ran back to the truck. He had to go back, and get some more people together. He couldn't go this mission alone. And he knew, if Daryl didn't now what was going on, he would kill him. Hell, he just lost the mans girl. Sure, Rick knew they tried to hide those feelings but it was obvious there was something going on there. He prepared himself for the beating he'd probably get for returning without Carol. Some where, in the back of his mind, it was screaming who took Carol. His mind was screaming that it was The Governor.

_**A/N: There you go. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	15. Chapter 15

**One Night**

**Chapter 15**

_**A/N: Time to update this story! I know you guys have been waiting for it :) Cause you know, what with The Governor and all. Enjoy. And be angry or whatever feels you want.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl paced around outside. Something was wrong. He knew something was wrong. His gut gave him a very bad feeling. He knew something bad was going to happen with just the two of them going. He should've went with them anyway. The blue truck came into view down the road. She was hurt. Something. Rick would walk out without a scratch, and Carol would bleeding and fighting for her life in the back. He ran towards the gate and opened it. Once Rick was through, he locked the gate and headed for the truck. He didn't even bother looking at Rick, he immediately looked in the back of the truck. She wasn't there. Where was she.

"Daryl, I have to tell you something." Rick started off. The way he tried to calm him down made him more pissed off.

"She dead?" Daryl asked, clenching his fists.

"I don't know." Rick looked down at the ground.

"She either is or she ain't." Daryl growled. "How the fuck can ya not know?"

"We were being chased by walkers. She told me to lure them away. I knew it was a stupid idea but she was stubborn. So I did. She was supposed to be in the storage room. When I got there, she was no where to be found." Rick looked back at Daryl. He could see the mixed emotions on his face. Anger, disappointment, but the one that was most visible, was sadness. "I looked out the back. She wasn't there either. But something caught my eye. Tire tracks. And there were footprints in the dirt. It looked like someone was struggling. I think she was taken. And I think I know by who."

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill that son of a bitch." Daryl stated, grabbing his crossbow. He knew too, who it was. That fucking Governor. He was taking her, to get back at the group. He already took Merle from him, and now he was taking Carol? Fuck no. That wasn't going to fly with him.

"We need a plan Daryl. I can't let you go just yet." Rick stopped Daryl. He wanted to kill The Governor too, but they needed a well thought plan.

"So ya expect me to just leave her with that asshole? Ya expect me to let him do what he did to Maggie?" Daryl shouted.

"Daryl, I know you're angry. But if we go in there without a plan, she could be killed. We all could be killed. Do you really want that?" Rick glared.

Daryl huffed, walking towards the front doors. "Well hurry the fuck up and make a plan." He called back to him, and stormed into the home.

* * *

The room was pitch black. She couldn't see a thing. All she knew was that she was tied up. Her hands were tied around the back of the chair, and her legs were tied to the chair as well. She couldn't move anything but her head. Suddenly, a harsh light flooded the room. The light flicked on, and the door closed. He stood there, a stupid grin on his face.

"Long time no see." He chuckled, sitting down across from her. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and two glasses. "Care for a drink?"

She didn't respond. She wouldn't talk for him. No matter what he did to her.

"You're missing out." He raised the glass to her, and drank the liquid. "Now, I don't believe I know your name." He leaned back in the chair. "Why don't you tell me."

"Carol." She said harshly. Maybe she should've taken that drink. He would've cut her hands free. She could've attacked somehow.

"Nice to meet you Carol." He smirked. "You already know who I am."

Yeah, you're an asshole.

"Why don't we make this simple. Just tell me where your group is hiding out, and nothing will happen to you. I promise, you'll be unharmed." The Governor offered.

"I'm not telling you anything." Carol growled.

"That's a shame." He stood up, walking over to her. "I'll give you one last chance sweetheart, tell me where they are, and I won't harm you."

Carol was silent. She wouldn't sell out her group. She wouldn't sell out Daryl. If it meant her life, she would protect them. She would protect Daryl.

He tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "I really wish you would've cooperated." He said. "Being nice didn't work. So how about something a little different." He stepped away, and turned the chair around.

"You can do whatever you want to me. I'm not telling you shit." Carol glared at him.

"Very well." The Governor nodded. "Martinez, tell Bowman to watch the perimeter. You stand guard at the door. I'm going to be a while." He knelt down infront of her. "When I'm finished with you, you'll wish you never survived this long."

* * *

"Come on lets go!" Daryl shouted, standing by the car. Rick and Glenn were taking so long. Michonne was already waiting with him at the car.

"When we find him, we kill him." Michonne said quietly. Daryl turned to look at her. "I know that man. He's sick. And I can tell you, he's probably got his hands all over her right now. If we don't get there soon, I don't know what will happen." Her words fueled his anger. The thought of The Governor touching _his_ woman. It made his blood boil and his skin crawl at the same time.

Finally, Rick and Glenn made their way outside. "'Bout fuckin' time." Daryl hissed, getting into the car.

"Now, we have to be careful." Rick said before starting the car. "They could be anywhere."

"All the more reason we hurry the fuck up." Daryl growled.

Rick sighed, and waited for Carl to open the gate. He sped out onto the road. "When we find him, we don't do anything until I say, are we clear? This for our safety, and Carol's."

"Just shut your trap and fuckin' drive." Daryl muttered, looking out the window. 'Don't worry Carol, I'm coming. Hang in there.' He thought as they drove.

* * *

Beth sat on the couch, holding a sleeping Judith. Thoughts of Carol flooded her mind. What if she was dead? Carol was like a mother to her. She loved Carol. This Governor was a horrible man, and he would more than likely do horrible things to her.

"Whats on your mind sweety?" Hershel sat down beside Beth.

"I'm worried about Carol." Beth confessed. "That man is bad daddy. And you know Carol. She'll do anything to protect us."

"She's strong." Hershel nodded. "And I know. She will do anything to protect those she cares about. Even if it means giving up her life."

"She's too precious to lose daddy." Beth sighed. "I don't think this group will last long without her." She looked up at Hershel. "I don't think Daryl will last long without her."

"Now Beth," Hershel started. "You're jumping to conclusions. You don't know if she's going to die. I think she'll make it out of there. She's a very strong woman, it would take a lot to kill her." He leaned closer to her. "Besides, do you really think she's going to give up that easy when she has Daryl Dixon to come home to?"

Beth giggled at that. "So you know about them too?"

"Honey, there ain't much I don't know about. Those two are probably sneaking around behind our backs thinking no one will suspect a thing."

"You're right on that one daddy." Beth laughed.

"Is there ever a time when I'm wrong?" Hershel smiled, and got up off the couch. "Try not to worry too much. I'm sure Rick and the others will get her back."

"Thanks daddy." Beth smiled. Hershel nodded, and walked away. Beth looked down at Judith, who was starting to wake up. "Come on Judith, let's get you a bottle." She smiled, walking into the kitchen. Beth started to make the bottle, when she heard a sound come out of Judith's mouth. She turned to look at her, eyes wide with shock. "What did you just say?"

"C-Cawoo." Beth raised a hand to her mouth. Did Judith just try and say Carol? "Cawoo!" She chanted happily.

"Oh my god." Beth was completely stunned.

"Whats wrong?" Maggie came running into the room.

"It's Judith, she just said-"

"Cawoo." Judith smiled up at Maggie.

"Did she just say... What I think she said?" Maggie asked, looking at her sister. Beth just nodded. "Carol is going to be so proud." Maggie could feel tears in her eyes. "Judith's first word, or attempt at a word. Carol."

"Cawoo!" Judith continued to chant.

"I can't wait until they come back with her." Beth grinned. "Imagine how happy she'll be."

"It will make the whole situation better, I hope." Maggie's smile faded. "If it was anything like he did to me... She might not come back from that. It might bring up memories of her marriage. The abuse. All of that. I won't be surprised if she shuts us out for a long time."

"You really think she would do that?" Beth looked worried.

"It's understandable." Maggie nodded. "But we just have to give her time. Let her do what she has to. Don't try and push her, okay?"

Beth nodded in agreement. She picked up Judith and grabbed the bottle. Maggie smiled, and walked out. "You're a good girl, aren't you Judith. Can you say Beth next?"

"Cawoo." Judith said before drinking the milk.

_**A/N: I'm sorry for this chapter being uber-short but, I didn't want to have Carol saved in just one chapter you know. I kind of want to drag it out a little bit. So I hope you enjoyed it. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	16. Chapter 16

**One Night**

**Chapter 16**

_**A/N: Oh. Would you looky there. An update for this story! How wonderful! :D**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol laid on her side, staring at the wall. Tears threatened to flow, but she held them back. She refused to give him a reaction. She felt so violated, but she did it for the group. Her family. She would protect them at all costs. The entire time she reminded herself that it would keep them safe, keep Daryl safe. The bed shifted beside her. She hoped he wasn't going to try again.

"I'll be back later. Hopefully you'll have given it some thought and you'll talk." He glared at her, pulling on his coat. She didn't even look at him. She couldn't. She heard him walk away. "Martinez, make sure she doesn't escape. I have some buisness to take care of out of town." She heard the door shut. Finally. She slid out from under the sheets, and searched the floor for her clothes.

She grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her body. Now, all she had to find was her weapons. She made sure she was quiet as she searched the room. Figures they wouldn't be there. She sat back down on the bed, and buried her face in her hands. She'd rather be dead than go through that again.

* * *

Rick and Daryl stayed crouched behind the dumpster as they watched the abandoned motel. "Ya think thats where they're at?" Daryl asked. "Looks like one of his trucks."

"Could be." Rick nodded. "It's best we stay here and watch for a bit. Maybe they'll leave." He glanced back to where Michonne and Glenn were stationed. They were hiding behind an abandoned car. Rick had made a plan that he and Daryl would search the motel, and if things got ugly, Michonne and Glenn would come to their aid. Hopefully, it wouldn't have to come to that.

"If they leave, they're gonna take Carol too. Unless the bastards already..." He couldn't bare to finish that sentence. "We gotta go in there and kill the fucker."

"No." Rick stated. "We don't know if he's even in there. And if he is, we don't know how many men he's gotten. There could be an entire army in there. We will just-" He stopped when they saw one of the doors open. "Don't move." He whispered to Daryl, and watched as The Governor stepped out of the building.

"Be so fuckin' easy to put an arrow right through his head." Daryl growled.

"Daryl." Rick warned. They watched him get into the truck. "He's leaving. And he's alone." The truck soon disappeared down the road. "Okay, let's go. You follow my lead." Rick motioned to Michonne and Glenn. They nodded. "Come on." He said, jogging to the door. He pressed his back against the wall, and nodded to Daryl. Daryl opened the door and quickly raised his crossbow. No one in sight.

"Clear for now." Daryl said in a low voice. Rick followed him in, keeping his gun raised.

"Search the rooms." Rick said quietly, trying the first door. Locked.

"If they was here, there would be atleast one guard out here." Daryl growled. "Should check the back of the motel." He kept a firm hold on his crossbow as he made his way down the row of doors. He peeked his head around the corner, and saw someone standing infront of a door. He quickly looked back at Rick. "Down there." He whispered.

"Alright. You go down there. I'll stay back here and keep a watch. Make sure no one else comes by." Daryl nodded, and crept towards the man. As he got closer, he realized who it was. Martinez.

* * *

Carol had stopped crying a while ago. Now, she just sat there, staring at the wall. That man had broken down her strong walls, and destroyed her. She was almost lifeless now. The sound of voices brought her back to reality. She got up off the bed, and slowly made her way to the door. She pressed her ear against it, and listened.

* * *

"Holy shit." Martinez lowered his gun. He heard someone creeping up beside him, and he would've shot right away if it wasn't for the crossbow. "Daryl?"

"Long time no see sunshine." Daryl kept his crossbow raised. "I think ya got somethin' of mine behind that door."

"You want her back? She your lover or something?" Martinez asked.

"Don't think that fuckin' concerns you." Daryl growled.

"Look, I don't want trouble Dixon. As you already know, The Governor is fucking crazy. When we left the prison, he shot everyone except for me and Bowman." Martinez explained. "If we didn't go with him, he probably would've shot us too."

"Saw that. Only one survived and she's back at that prison. Karen was her name." Daryl recalled. "Now, ya best let me in that room."

"Karen is alive?" Martinez was shocked. "And I don't know if you want to go in there. No telling how scarred she is."

"The fuck you mean by that?" Daryl asked, his patience wearing thin.

"She's tough that woman. Didn't tell him nothing when he asked where you were. So he threatened her. But she didn't budge. He told me to watch and make sure no one came in the room... You can guess the rest." Martinez sighed. "He's crazy. But I'll tell you what. I'll tell him you got the jump on us." He stepped away from the door.

"Thanks man." Daryl nodded, lowering his crossbow. Martinez was an alright guy without The Governor around. He stepped towards the door, and turned the handle.

* * *

"Do you think they found her?" Glenn asked. "I mean, we haven't heard any shouting or gunshots. Maybe it was a bust?"

"The Governor was here, you saw him." Michonne stared straight ahead. "Maybe they took them out quietly. But we stick with what Rick said. Stay here until we hear things get out of hand."

"I hope they find her. If it's anything like what he did to Maggie..." Glenn trailed off.

"You worry too much Glenn." Michonne said, shaking her head. "Let's just wait and stay positive."

"Alright." Glenn nodded.

* * *

"It's like she's done all her growing up in one day." Beth smiled as Judith walked over to Carl. "I mean, talking and then her first steps all in one day. It's amazing. Carol would be proud."

"You say it like she's gone." Carl noted, grabbing Judith's hands. "Do you think he killed her?"

"Do you?" Beth asked, slightly worried.

"I think he tried to break her somehow. But she didn't budge. She's probably still alive. And Daryl probably found her by now and is bringing her back." Carl smiled. "I believe in her."

"Yeah, I do too." Beth stood up. "I'm going to go make her bottle. After all, it's almost nap time." Beth headed off to the kitche, leaving Carl with the baby.

"Cawoo?" Judith sat down infront of Carl, hitting his knee like it was a drum.

"Carol is going to be fine Jude. Don't you worry." Carl smiled, picking her up. "You'll get to see her in no time." He laughed as Judith grinned at him. "Come on, lets go see Beth."

* * *

Carol backed away from the door as she saw the knob turn. She watched as Daryl entered the room.

"Oh god. Carol are ya alright?" Daryl asked, wrapping his arms around her. He was a little surprised when she didn't return his embrace.

"Fine. Let's find my weapons and get out of here." Something wasn't right. Her voice sounded... Different. Like it wasn't her. She stepped out of his arms and walked out the door. He stood there for a moment before running after her.

"Carol, thank god!" Rick sighed in relief as he saw her walking towards him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said angrily. "I just want to find my weapons and go."

Martinez pulled out a gun and knife from his belt. "Here." He handed them to her. She grabbed them and looked to Rick.

"Where is the car."

"Come on." Rick motioned for her to follow. Daryl didn't like this at all. Something was seriously wrong with her. Normally, she would've jumped on him and cried because he found her. But not this time. Hopefully, when they got back, she would be back to her old self.

* * *

"They're back!" Maggie grinned at Beth, who was in the kitchen making supper.

Beth stopped what she was doing and ran after Maggie. When they got outside, Maggie ran to Glenn. Beth watched as Carol got out of the car. She was going to say something, but Carol just walked right past her, like she didn't even see her. She stepped out of the way as Daryl chased after her. Something was clearly wrong there.

* * *

"Carol!" Daryl called after her as she stalked towards their room. He almost caught up with her, but then she slammed the door in his face. He cursed before opening the door. "Carol, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm fine!" Carol curled up underneath the covers. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Fine." Daryl huffed. There was no use talking to her right now. Maybe he'd try again when they went to sleep.

"Oh uhm, I have some food here for Carol, if she wants it." Beth said as she nearly ran into Daryl. He took the plate from her, gave her a nod, and walked towards the bed.

"Here, atleast eat somethin'." He set the plate on the small table beside her.

"Maybe later." Carol said quietly. "I just want to rest now."

"Okay..." Daryl stayed there for a few moments before walking out of the room. He hoped that Governor died soon. Slowly and painfully.

* * *

"Has she changed at all?" Rick asked Daryl as he came down the hallway.

"Still the same." Daryl sighed. It had been three days, and she still wouldn't talk. She wasn't herself. She had a blank stare all the time, and when she looked at him, it was like she was looking right through him. He missed the old Carol.

"Give her time. I'm sure she'll come around eventually." Daryl just nodded.

"Ya come get me if she leaves the room." Daryl said, and walked outside. It was his turn for watch.

* * *

Daryl's head turned as he heard Rick's voice. "Carol stop!" He shouted. Daryl was on his feet now. Carol was heading towards the gate, her knife in her hand. What was she doing? There were atleast a dozen walkers out there. They weren't really a threat, but one person couldn't take on all those walkers. Then again, she had done it once before.

"Carol don't do it!" Daryl called out to her as she threw the chain on the ground. She slipped through the gate, and headed for the walkers.

* * *

Carol gripped her knife tightly, and then whistled. The walkers turned and started heading for her. She ignored Rick and Daryl's shouting as she raised her knife. She had so much anger in her, she needed to get rid of it. What that Governor did to her, she'd never be able to forget it. She would never be the same. He ruined her. The first walker was a few steps away from her. She plunged the knife into its skull. It dropped infront of her. One after the other, she shoved the blade into their brains. When the last one stumbled towards her, she tackled it to the ground.

* * *

Daryl couldn't stand to watch this anymore. He pushed open the gate and ran towards her. When she tackled the walker, he got scared. He stopped just beside her, and a memory flashed before him. She was doing exactly what he had done with Merle. The walker's head was mush by the time she was finished. He knelt down beside her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. His heart broke as she broke down.

"Carol..." He whispered. "Come on." He helped her up. He wrapped and arm around her waist, and led her back inside. "Cover my watch." Daryl said to Rick before walking into their room. He shut the door behind them, and sat her down on the bed. "Talk to me Carol." He tilted her head up so she would look at him.

Carol looked into Daryl's worried eyes. What was she doing? She had shut everyone out completely. She had ignored Daryl, ignored his affection. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry." She buried her face in his neck.

Daryl wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Ya don't gotta be sorry..." He said quietly. "Just... Tell me what happened..."

"I did it to protect you..." She said, sniffling.

"Did what to protect me?" Daryl asked, holding her out at arms length.

"I... I feel so violated Daryl..."

Daryl wanted to punch something. Or better yet kill someone. Martinez had been right. That Governor had laid his hands on Carol. Forced her to...

"Daryl please." Carol looked at him with sad eyes. "Just... Don't be mad..."

"I ain't mad at ya." Daryl spoke. "But I'll be damned if I let him get away with it."

"Don't bother. Please." She cupped his face with her hands. "I didn't tell him where we are. He doesn't know anything. I swear. Just... Let it go."

Daryl sighed, and looked down. "If he shows his face around here, I ain't lettin' him live. But I won't go after him... If it's what ya want."

"It is." Carol nodded. "I'm so sorry for shutting you out..."

"Hey, don't be. Just consider it payback for all the times I shut you out." Daryl smiled a little.

"Knock knock." Beth called through the door.

"Come in." Carol slid away from Daryl a bit.

"Someone wants to see you." Beth grinned, stepping aside to let Judith walk in. "She's walking all over the place now. But thats not all. Who is that Judith?"

"Cawoo!" Judith reached up to Carol. Carol felt more tears in her eyes.

"Hi Judith." Carol picked up the girl.

"Her first word was your name." Beth smiled. "She's been saying it for a while. She really missed you I guess." Beth leaned against the doorframe.

"I'm sorry baby." Carol looked at Judith. "I shouldn't have ignored such a cute little thing like you."

"Anyway, dinner is ready if you want some. Come on Judith." Beth scooped up Judith from Carol's arms. "We missed you Carol. Glad to see you're back."

* * *

"You're sure you aren't mad at me?" Carol asked as Daryl laid down beside her. "You have every reason to be."

"I don't wanna be mad at ya." Daryl rolled onto his side. "Do ya want me to be mad?"

"No." Carol shook her head. "I just feel awful."

"I understand why ya did it." Daryl placed a hand on her arm. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

Carol smiled, and scooted closer to him. She leaned forward until their lips connected. "I've missed this." She said against his lips.

"Me too." Daryl admitted, pulling her closer.

Carol pulled away from a little to catch her breath. "Should we go to sleep?" She asked

"Are ya tired?" Daryl answered her question with another question.

"Not really..." Carol bit her lower lip nervously. "Are you?" He shook his head. "Uhm... What do you want to do?" He just shrugged. "Well uhm... We could..." She didn't know really what to say for the idea she had in mind. Daryl just laughed at how nervous she was.

"Pick up where we left off?" He suggested.

"That works." Carol smiled a little. Daryl pressed his lips to hers again. Carol fell back a bit, and he moved with her so his upper body was hovering over hers. Her hands moved to his hair as he deepened the kiss. He pulled away and gently kissed her neck. He wasn't sure if it had any effect on her, so he stopped. "No... Don't stop." She said quietly. He smirked and pressed his lips against her neck again. He would've continued if it hadn't been for the knock at the door.

"Damn it." He growled, moving away from her. Why did that always happen? Why was god so cruel like that?

"Come in." Carol said, clearly disappointed to have their fun ruined. Beth appeared holding a fussy Judith.

"She won't stop saying Carol. I tried to get her to go to sleep but she just won't." Beth sighed.

"Alright." Carol got out of bed. "Are you being fussy Judith?" Carol took the baby from her arms. "Are you giving Beth a hard time? Hm?" Judith just giggled at her. Carol smiled a little at the baby. She couldn't be mad at a baby. "How about you stay here with Daryl while I fix you a bottle?" She walked over and handed her to Daryl. "Be right back."

Daryl waited until both Carol and Beth were out of the room before looking to Judith. "Ya just can't let a man be with his woman, can ya kid?" He shook his head. "I wouldn't stop ya from playin' with your toys, why ya gotta stop me from doin' somethin' I wanna do? Hey asskicker?" Judith just grinned innocently at him. Daryl couldn't help but chuckle.

Kids. You had to love them.

_**A/N: I get so distracted when writing which is why these go up so late. R&R lovelies!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	17. Chapter 17

**One Night**

**Chapter 17**

_**A/N: It feels like only yesterday we were at chapter 10. Now we're almost at 20! This went by so quickly! I would be updating One Day At A Time, but I'm totally stumped for it. So this story will have to do! Because I know what's going on! Yay! Enjoy!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Martinez!" The Governor shouted. He had just gotten back from his little trip, and when he went to torture his prisoner to get information, she was no longer there. He looked to the door as the man who he called appeared. "Where the hell is she?" He growled, furious.

"They got the jump on us. Must have been watching us for a while. Me and Bowman were knocked out." He had explained everything to Bowman that night. He was happy to agree to the plan. Hopefully soon they could get away from this creep, maybe go back to the prison where their friends were. "When we woke up she was gone."

The Governor eyed him, almost like he knew he was lying. "I see." He nodded slowly, and then started laughing. "Well, good thing I always have a backup plan."

"And what plan is that?" Martinez asked as Bowman came into the room.

"We wait. They'll surely be expecting us now. So, we'll wait a week. Then when the moon starts to rise, we go searching for them. I say we try the other side of town. They sure as hell aren't on this side. We'll get them by surprise, you'll see." He grinned. The perfect plan. Attack when they least expect it. They'll never see it coming, he'll get his revenge. First, he'll kill that Michonne. She was first on his list of enemies. After all, she killed his Penny. His daughter. Next, he'd slit the throat of that Daryl Dixon. It was time for the Dixon bloodline to be gone from this world. And lastly, he'd kill the leader, Rick Grimes. He'd make sure it was painful. He kill the rest of them easily with his gun. He couldn't wait.

* * *

Martinez was not looking forward to the end of the week. The Governor had come back the day after he allowed the group to take Carol back. He told his master plan that would take place very soon. Three days had already passed since his big announcement, and he was dreading the days. He didn't want to kill anymore people. They had murdered enough people.

* * *

"Tellin' ya, that Governor ain't just gonna let ya go." Daryl said as they sat outside on the bench. Rick had wanted two people on watch ever since the incident with Carol. That way, they would be more likely to handle him if he showed up. But he hadn't in the three days since they got her back. It was strange, but he knew something was going to happen. He just didn't know when, and thats what bothered him.

"I know he isn't." Carol sighed. "But there isn't anything we can do about it right now. It isn't smart to go after him."

"Ain't smart to just sit here neither." Daryl muttered. "Well, come on. Rick and Michonne's turn for watch." He stood up, and held his hand out for her. She gladly took it. He pulled her up, and started walking back to the front entrance of the home.

"I should start on lunch." Carol said as they entered the building. "Care to keep me company?"

"Ya ain't tired of me yet." Daryl smirked.

"Can't get rid of me that easy." Carol chuckled, and started walking toward the kitchen. "Looks like instant potatoes for lunch." Carol sighed. They hadn't had meat in a few days. Last night when she brought up the idea of hunting, he refused. He didn't want to hunt knowing The Governor was out there searching for her.

Daryl leaned against the counter and watched her as she kept a careful eye on the pot. He heard the sound of tiny footsteps, and glanced at the doorway. Judith was walking in, holding her little blanket. "Ya got a visitor." Daryl nodded towards the baby.

"Why isn't anyone watching her?" Carol asked, looking to Daryl. "I have to watch the stove, you have to deal with her this time."

Daryl pushed himself off the counter and scooped up the baby. She giggled with excitement. "Hey asskicker."

"Cawol!" The more she heard Carol's name, the better she got at saying it. She had yet to attempt anyone else's name.

"Hey sweetheart." Carol smiled at the little girl in Daryl's arms. She loved when that baby said her name. "Daryl, you should probably take her to Beth or Carl. She can't be wandering around alone."

"Da... Dawol?" Judith looked confused. Daryl stopped and looked down at Judith. Did she just? "Dawol." Judith said again, looking between the two adults. It took all Daryl had not to tear up.

Carol had tears in her eyes though, and that just made it so much harder. "Yes honey, thats Daryl." Carol smiled, and looked up at Daryl. She could tell her was truely touched by what the girl had said. "Looks like you've joined the club."

"Yeah, uh, I'll go find Beth." Daryl quickly walked out of the room. He didn't run off to find the young blonde right away. He stood in the hallway, smiling at the girl. When she looked at him, she grinned right back. He laughed, and kissed her forehead. "I love ya kid." He said quietly, and then walked off to find Beth.

* * *

Daryl was off talking with Rick, and she didn't have anything to do. Judith was asleep already, so she could look after her. She walked towards the back doors. She looked through the glass of the sliding doors to the back of the retirement home. There was once a garden there. She also noticed a gazebo in the center of the yard with a porch swing. She decided to relax outside. The sun was just starting to set, and it created a pretty atmosphere. She walked down the stone path towards the swing. It would be the perfect place to relax and have a glass of wine while reading a nice book. If only it wasn't the end of the world. She sat back on the little swing and closed her eyes. She stayed alert, just in case. It was quiet outside, and she could barely hear the moans of the new walkers that had gathered at the fence in the front. It was quite peaceful.

The quiet gave her some time to think. Her thoughts were mainly filled with Daryl. She smiled to herself at how close they had gotten. He was getting more comfortable with their relationship, and was showing more affection towards her, even teasing her a little. Of course, that was when they were alone. They still hadn't told the group, and she doubted Daryl wanted to. She wouldn't mind if the group knew, that way she wouldn't have to hide her affections. They could be open about it. She hated not being able to kiss him when she wanted to. And whenever they did get time alone, someone knocked on the door and interrupted them. If everyone knew, it wouldn't matter if they were caught kissing. Lord knows how many times they caught Glenn and Maggie. They didn't have any shame in the fact either. To be young and worry free about relationships again.

She heard the sliding doors open, and it brought her out of her thoughts. Daryl was walking towards her. She smiled at him as he sat down beside her. "Hey."

"Been lookin' for ya." Daryl said, looking down at his shoes.

"Oh?" Carol questioned. "Any reason?"

"Just wanted to ask ya somethin'." Daryl shrugged.

"And what would that be?" Carol waited for him to ask. He seemed troubled. Nervous maybe.

"Ya think they know 'bout us?" He looked at her now. "I mean... Beth and Maggie keep givin' me weird looks, and so does Rick. And I see them smrikin' at us when were near each other..."

Carol thought about it for a moment. It was entirely possible. "Maybe they do." She said quietly. "Would it matter if they did?"

"I don't know..." Daryl shrugged again. "Do ya... Want people to know?"

"I just don't like having to hide everything. It's hard not to kiss you, especially when you act all shy like this." Carol smiled a little bit, trying to lighten the mood.

"Really now?" Daryl had a small smirk on his face. "I just don't really understand the public affections and stuff." Daryl looked towards the sky. "Get enough of it with Glenn and Maggie."

"I'm not saying I'd be all over you." Carol chuckled. "Just, it would be easier if they knew. But, it's up to you. I'll keep it a secret if you want. It doesn't matter to me, as long as I have you." She smiled.

"Maybe we could wait a little more... Till everythin' settles down."

"Whatever you want." Carol looked towards the sky. "It's a nice night."

"Yeah." He nodded in agreement, not taking his eyes off her.

Carol glanced over at him, and noticed he was staring at her. "What?" She asked, blushing a little.

"Nothin'." He smirked. "Ya just look good is all."

Her cheeks turned more red. "Oh." She looked down. "Thanks. You look good too."

"Ya wanna go back inside?" Daryl asked. She saw something flash in his eyes, and it made her heart flutter.

"Sure. They're probably looking for us anyway." She stood up.

"Wasn't gonna pay attention to them." Daryl said in a low voice. "Was only gonna pay attention to you." That made her face flush. He rarely teased her like this.

"What exactly are you saying?" She asked shyly.

Daryl smirked and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on her lips. He let his lips linger before pulling away. "We haven't had much time to ourselves. I mean, ya may or may not have a headache and want to sleep, not be bothered. I may or may not offer to take early morning shift and sleep earlier than normal." Carol's heart beat a little faster at his words.

"Well we can't walk in together, they'll know something is up then." She smiled. "I'll go first. Wait five minutes. Then you can make your excuse?" She suggested. He just nodded in agreement. "See you in a bit then." She walked down the path towards the doors. She felt a rush of excitement as she entered the home. She went off to find someone. Maggie was in the kitchen, so she decided to tell her. "Hey Maggie." Carol moved her hand up to her forehead, trying to act like her head hurt. "I have a horrible headache. I think I'll turn in early. If the baby wakes up could you get someone else to take care of her?"

"Sure thing Carol. You deserve a break anyway. Goodnight." Maggie smiled brightly at her. Carol said her thanks, and walked off towards the room she shared with Daryl.

* * *

Daryl figured atleast five minutes had passed. He was starting to get nervous as he walked closer to the doors. He didn't know why he became so bold before, but the more he thought about it, the more nervous he got. He didn't even know what he meant for them to do. He opened the sliding door and went off in search of Rick. He found him just coming inside from watch. "Hey Rick, gotta tell ya somethin'."

"What is it?" Rick asked, setting his gun by the door.

"I was thinkin' 'bout takin' the early mornin' watch tomorrow. If no one has called it." Daryl stated.

"Nope, not that I know of." Rick crossed his arms. "Why do you want the early morning shift?"

Daryl shrugged. "No real reason. So I'm gonna head in right now and get some shut eye."

"Alright." Rick eyed him. "See you in the morning then."

Daryl nodded, and walked off towards the room. The door was closed. He slowly opened it. He found her lying on the bed, and it looked like she was asleep. He closed the door behind him, and sat down on the bed. Carol's eyes opened and she sat up. "Thought ya actually fell asleep..." Daryl smiled a little.

"I probably could've." Carol chuckled. "But that was just in case someone tried to come in who wasn't you."

"Well, Rick bought my story so..."

"That's good." Carol smiled. "Maggie bought mine too." She looked around the room. She got off the bed and walked towards the door. He tilted his head in confusion as she walked away. "Just in case." She said, turning the little lock on the door.

"Oh, right." Daryl nodded.

Carol walked back to the bed and laid down. She looked up at him, not sure what her next move would be. "So... Do you want to lie down?"

"I guess." Daryl said quietly, and laid down on his side. He used his elbow to support him as he looked down at her. Should he just go for it? He feared if they talked anymore he would make the whole situation awkward. He leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to hers. He felt her arms wrap around him and pull him closer. Feeling a little more confident, he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth. When their tongues touched it was like electricity, and it powered him to be more brave. His hand trailed up and down her side. He moved his lips to her jawline, placing soft kisses all along it. He slowly made his way to her neck. This is where they had been cut off before. No one was stopping him now. He nipped at her skin, and she gasped.

Maybe tonight they would finally take the next step in their relationship. Lord knows she wanted to. There had been nights when he was on watch and she was alone, where she thought about him. Thought about how it would feel having him inside her. She blushed at the thought. She hadn't done it in years now. And even before all this, it wasn't that great. In her marriage, sex wasn't something she looked forward to. All her relationship with Ed was just a quick fuck. She wanted someone who would treat her with care. She wanted to actually make love. Maybe Daryl was the one to do that. Maybe it would happen tonight. She often wondered if he ever fantasized about her the way she did him.

His lips continued to trail up and down her neck, occasionally nipping her skin. Everytime it sent chills down her spine, and she loved it. Her lips sought out his, and they resumed their passionate kiss. This time it was a lot more lustfull. She moved her hands to his chest, and started fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. Thats when he started panic. She felt him tense up, and she knew something was wrong. He quickly moved off of her, and sat at the end of the bed. He looked so ashamed.

"Whats wrong?" She asked, coming up behind him.

"Nothin'." Daryl said. She could see right through his lie.

"If you're not ready for this, just say so. I didn't mean to push." Carol apolagized.

He wasn't ready for it exactly, she was right. But that wasn't why he pulled away. "I ain't really ready for it... I guess it was the heat of the moment." Daryl immediately wished he could take back those words. He didn't want her to think of it as a mistake. It wasn't a mistake.

"Yeah." Carol nodded, feeling her heart break a little. "I understand."

"I'm sorry." Daryl turned to look at her with sad eyes. She gave him a small smile and pecked his lips.

"It's okay. Let's just get some sleep, okay?" She suggested. He nodded. He felt like an idiot, leading her on like this. He wanted to tell her why he pulled away, but at the same time he wasn't ready to share that information with her yet. He didn't want to tell her the stories of his scars.

As they cralwed underneath the covers, Carol snuggled up close to him. "You can tell me anything, by the way. I won't judge you." She said, closing her eyes. "Goodnight Daryl."

"Night." Daryl let her words play through in his mind. He could tell her anything. But now just wasn't the time.

_**A/N: Hey I'm the ultimate cockblock aren't I? Well we all know Daryl, too soon for him. I promise, they'll get to their love making eventually ;D Now, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! R&R lovelies!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	18. Chapter 18

**One Night**

**Chapter 18**

_**A/N: I want to get this current idea out of the way, because then I can focus more on my other story. Cause after this idea, I don't know where to take this story haha! So, enjoy this chapter!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol pushed open the front doors with her shoulder, holding two plates in her hand. Daryl was walking the fence, eyeing the walkers outside. She smiled, and made her way over to him. "I brought you some breakfast." She said quietly, holding out the plate of eggs. He took it from her and nodded in thanks. "I have to ask you something."

"What?" Daryl asked, putting a large spoonful of eggs in his mouth.

"We're running low on food now. We need meat, Daryl. Will you please go hunting?" Carol pleaded. She was using as little of food as possible. He may not have noticed, but she was giving most of her portions to everyone else. They needed it more than her.

"I ain't goin' huntin' Carol. What if I go and that prick comes back? I wouldn't be here to protect ya..." Daryl sighed. He wasn't going to leave her alone for a minute.

"That's why I want to go with you." Carol stared up at him.

"No way." Daryl shook his head.

"Daryl, please. I wouldn't get in the way, I promise. And you'd be able to protect me, after all, I'd be with you and he couldn't get to me." Carol tried to reason with him. "Do it for the group. Do it for me."

He wanted to say no, he really did, but he couldn't with those eyes. He cursed, and then looked back down at her. "Fine."

"Great. I promise, everything will be fine." Carol smiled up at him. "I'll go tell Rick."

Just wonderful. Now, he had to watch her ass while he went hunting. He would've preferred waiting until The Governor was no longer a threat, but she looked at him with those damn perfect eyes and he just couldn't turn her down.

* * *

"Shh." Daryl raised a finger to his lips as they crept through the forest. He didn't want her being too loud, because he was tracking a buck. The slightest sound would scare it off, and he didn't exactly want to chase it through the forest. He knelt down to the ground, staring at the tracks. It ran off to the right. "Come on." He said quietly, changing their direction.

"I'm glad you decided to take me up on my offer but... Did you have to make me carry the kills?" She asked, looking at the three squirrels around her belt.

"Merry christmas." Daryl said, handing her a dead rabbit. She hadn't even heard him shoot the thing. She shuddered, and took the lifeless creature from him. "Ya gonna be complainin' a lot more when I bag us that buck."

"Oh god..." Carol whispered.

"Stop." Daryl held his arm out, stopping her in her tracks. He raised his crossbow, lining up the kill. The buck was chewing on some grass, completely unaware of their existance. It looked so peaceful. Carol could not watch. She covered her eyes, and then heard a thump. "Hell yeah." Daryl said in victory, and motioned for her to follow. "Ya realize we gotta carry this back to the truck, don't ya?"

"Yes, I realize." Carol sighed. The truck was quite a ways back. The forest was out of town so they had to take the truck. It made more sense to take it instead of the other vehicles, because they could put the deer in the back.

"Be glad we don't gotta carry it back to the home." Daryl smirked, lifting up one end of the deer by its legs. Carol took the other side, and he could tell she was already struggling with it's weight. "Sooner we get back, the better."

"Agreed." Carol said, trying her best to keep hold of the deer.

* * *

"Boy, this looks good." Glenn grinned as Carol handed him the plate of meat. She just laughed and went about handing the rest of the plates out. They had enough food to last them atleast two weeks now. She grabbed her own plate, and Daryl's too. She remembered he had went to take a shower after they skinned the animals. Carol walked out of the kitchen and towards their room. She balanced the other plate on her arm long enough to open the door.

The bathroom door was still closed, so she figured he was still in there. She set the plate down on the little table, and sat down on the bed. She would wait for him. She wanted to eat with him, but her stomach growled in protest. It had been a while since she ate a full meal. So, she ate in silence, waiting until he emerged from the bathroom.

A few minutes and she was done her meal. She set the empty plate down beside Daryl's still full plate. She heard the bathroom door open, and she turned her head. Daryl stood there, frozen in place. She didn't really see anything wrong, he was only shirtless after all. There wasn't a reason he should look so panicked.

"I brought your dinner." She said, gesturing to the plate on the table.

"Uh... Thanks." Daryl looked down at the ground. He didn't want to move. He didn't want her to see the scars the littered his back. She would certainly find him worthless, a pathetic excuse for a man.

"Something wrong?" She asked, standing up.

"Just... What are ya still doin' here? Ya didn't eat with the others?" He didn't want to tell her to get out, but he didn't want her there either.

"I wanted to eat with you, but my stomach protested against that idea." She smiled, walking over to him. More panic filled his eyes as she neared him. Something was wrong, she knew it. "Daryl, what's wrong."

"Nothin' is wrong." Daryl said harshly.

"Why are you so afraid?" She asked, looking into his eyes. "There is nothing to be afraid of Daryl."

"Just leave me be." Daryl glared at her. He pushed past her, and went to grab a shirt before she saw his scars.

He grabbed a shirt off the floor, when a cool hand rested on his shoulder. Too late now. He refused to look at her. He could already picture the look of disgust on her face. "Just go." He said, defeated. "I know ya want to so just go."

"I'm not going anywhere." She said quietly. "Is this what you're worried about, Daryl? Your scars?" He stepped away from her, and sat down on the bed. He felt the bed dip behind him, and she was right there, wrapping her arms around his from behind. Her chin rested on his shoulder. "Daryl, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I know what you're thinking. They're ugly, they make you less of a man. Well that's not the case. Your scars are not a sign of how weak you are, how you failed, but a sign of how brave and strong you really are. Even through all that, you kept on living. You're a survivor Daryl." He felt the warmth of her body leave his back. Instead, she traced her finger over the long scar between his shoulder blades. "Your scars don't make you ugly, Daryl. I don't want you thinking that." A chill went down his spine as her lips touched the slightly raised skin. "In fact, they make you even more attractive." Her chin came to rest on his shoulder again.

He was completely overwhelmed with everything she said. He didn't really know what to say to her now. She didn't leave. She didn't pity him. She didn't do anything he thought she would. She did the exact opposite.

"You're not the only one with scars Daryl." She whispered, and kissed his cheek. "I'll leave you alone now." She got off the bed, and before he could say anything, she was gone. He was left there to think about her words, think about everything that just happened. He completely forgot the plate of food sitting on the little table beside the bed.

* * *

Carol had fallen asleep a long time ago. She hadn't said anything to him when she walked in. She didn't even say goodnight to him. It was haunting him, and he couldn't sleep. He glanced over at her, and she had her back turned to him. He must have really fucked up. He moved so he was lying on his side, facing her. Slowly, he reached his hand out to her, and placed it on her shoulder. She didn't wake. Gently, he pulled on her arm until she was on her other side, facing him. He could see her eyes flutter open in the dark.

"Daryl?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"I'm sorry." Daryl said, looking into her tired eyes.

"For what?" Carol rubbed at her eyes.

"For earlier. Tellin' ya to get out. Lettin' ya leave when I wanted ya to stay. Everythin' else I done." Daryl bit his lip. "Thought ya was gonna leave me if ya saw my scars."

Carol only smiled, and moved closer to him. She placed her hand on his cheek. "It's okay Daryl. I understand how you feel. I felt the same way about my scars. I thought they made me ugly too."

"Nothin' could ever make ya ugly to me." Daryl said, his cheeks growing hot.

"Thank you." Carol leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. She removed her hand from his cheek, and wrapped her arm around Daryl's waist. She snuggled up close to him, his warmth making her feel safe. "Goodnight, Daryl." She whispered, her eyes closing.

He watched her for a while, asleep in his arms. He was glad that she was able to forgive him so easily. Even after everything he'd done to her, she'd come back. He realized then, that Carol was the one for him. The one he'd been waiting for, but never known it.

He realized now, that he loved her.

_**A/N: It's short but I thought this was a pretty good place to end it. Things are going to heat up in the next chapter, I'll let you know that much. R&R lovelies!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	19. Chapter 19

**One Night**

**Chapter 19**

_**A/N: Hey guys I'm back. I said I was going to write hours ago... Interwebs are a horrible thing. Haha! Now, I have to tell you, update will become less frequent, as school starts up tomorrow. I don't want grade 11, screw that shit. Sorry. Enjoy!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl pulled away from her, a small smile on his face. Carol sighed contently, and stared up at him. She didn't want to get out of bed, but someone had to make breakfast. When she woke up ten minutes earlier, he was already awake. She said she was going to make breakfast, and started to get out of bed, but he pulled her back down, and attacked her lips. She put up no fight, and kissed him back with just as much desire.

"I really have to make breakfast now." Carol ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I know." Daryl smirked, leaning down and placing kisses on her neck.

"Daryl..." Carol tried to push him away. "Not now. Maybe later, if you're good." She sat up. "Shouldn't you be on watch?" She questioned him, raising an eyebrow. He looked down at his hands, a mumbled a yes. "Then you better go." She lightly pushed him. "I'll bring you breakfast. Who else is on watch with you?"

"Michonne." Daryl answered, getting up off the bed. "Glad about that, she don't try and talk to me. Not like Glenn, always yappin' away 'bout somethin'."

"When I'm on watch with you I talk to you, does that mean you get annoyed with me too?" She asked, following him towards the door.

"You're the exception." Daryl nudged her before opening the door.

* * *

"When do you think they're going to tell us?" Glenn asked as he and Maggie watched Carol sitting outside with Daryl while he ate his breakfast. "It's not exactly a secret."

"Well, they don't think we know, because we don't show that we do." Maggie smiled. "I've had a hard time not saying anything to her though. They're so cute after all."

"Give them time. They'll come around. Now you two, stop spying." Hershel said from behind them. Maggie blushed and looked at the ground.

"Sorry daddy."

"It's alright. Now go mind your own buisness you two." Hershel smiled. Maggie and Glenn quickly disappeared.

* * *

Carol sat out back on the porch swing, Judith sitting on her lap. The little girl was completely amazed at the outside world. She kept pointing to different things, making Carol laugh. She heard someone heading towards them, and we she turned her head she saw Rick walking over. She smiled at him. Judith stared at him for a moment before reaching out to him.

"Dada!" She grinned, waiting for him to pick her up. Carol could see the surprise in Rick's face as Judith spoke. Carol felt tears in her eyes now. This little girl was growing up so fast. Her vocabulary was growing quite quickly. Her first word had been Carol, which she loved and it made her emotional every time she thought about it. Her second word was Daryl, which she could tell made him emotional too. Then she started saying other words like bubba, which meant bottle. She said banket for her blanket. She was a quick learner.

Rick reached out and picked her up. She giggled with excitement. "She's very smart." Carol smiled up at them.

"Well she didn't get it from me." Rick chuckled. "I haven't been around her much lately. What with The Governor a threat once again, I haven't had the time. I've been so worried. I'm glad that she has someone like you to take care of her."

"I'd look after that little girl as often as I could. She's a real cutie." Carol watching as Judith started to get sleepy. "Looks like she's about ready for her nap. You want to put her down?" Carol asked, getting up to stand beside him.

"I think I will." Rick smiled.

"See you later princess." Carol cooed.

"Come on, time for a nap. If only we could all take a nap these days." Rick called back. Carol laughed. If only.

* * *

Carol had managed to slip her shirt on just in time before Daryl walked through the door. She had just gotten out of the shower, and her hair was still wet. She walked back into the bathroom and grabbed a towel, trying to get what water she could out of her hair. When she turned around, Daryl was leaning against the door frame, smiling at her. "What?" She asked, looking in the mirror to fix her wild hair.

"Nothin'." The smile never left his face. What was running through his mind?

"Then why are you staring at me?" Giving up on her hair, she turned to face him once more.

"Ya just look good." Daryl shrugged, his smile growing bigger.

"What is running through your head, Dixon?" Carol crossed her arms, giving him a half smile.

"I been good." Daryl smirked, stepping closer to her. Carol knew now what was going through his head. She held her hand out, stopping him from coming any closer. "What?" He pouted.

"I have to make supper soon, Daryl." She chuckled. "How fair is it to you that you get me for five minutes when you can have me all you want later." She winked, walking past him.

Fuck. She was doing it again. Subtly hinting about _that_. He still didn't know what to do when the time finally came. He had never been in this position. What if he was no good? What if she thought he was pathetic and threw him away like a piece of trash? He chewed on this nail as he thought about all the things that could go wrong.

* * *

"Hey, wait a second you two." Rick caught up to Carol and Daryl before they headed off to bed. "I have a favor to ask. Tomorrow night could you take the first few hours of night watch? I've been doing it almost every night and I kind of want a break. Spend some time with Judith before she goes to bed. I hope it isn't too much to ask."

"Of course not, Rick. We'd be happy to. You deserve a break." Carol smiled. "Right Daryl?" She looked at him. He glanced at her. Those eyes said "Do it or you're in trouble." So he nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." Rick smiled. "Well, goodnight you two." Rick thought about saying "Don't have too much fun." but he decided against it.

"Goodnight, Rick." Carol waved to him, and they continued on their path down the hallway. When they entered the room, she shut the door and locked it. "Well, you kept your promise. You were good." Carol chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Now what?"

"Uh... I-I don't know." Daryl was a nervous wreck. He had been dreading this time, and now it was here. He was going to disappoint her. Everything would just go downhill and she'd leave him. It was only a matter of time. It wouldn't have bothered him so much if he wasn't in love with her.

"Is something wrong, Daryl?" She asked, noticing the nervous look on his face.

"N-No. S'fine." Daryl stepped out of her embrace and sat down on the bed. He was such a fucking pussy.

"Daryl, you know you can tell me anything." Carol sat down beside him, placing a hand on his cheek. She made him look her in the eyes. "If something is bothering you, I'd like to know about it."

"Just... I ain't done this before. Just gonna disappoint ya." He sighed. She had a confused look as she processed the words.

"What did you think we were going to do, Daryl?" Carol asked. She hadn't planned on doing anything they hadn't done before.

"I thought ya wanted to... Ya know." Daryl looked down at his hands.

"You mean you thought I wanted to have sex? Daryl, that isn't going to happen until you're ready for it. I'll wait as long as you want me to. I'm not going to push you to do something you aren't comfortable doing." Carol placed a gently hand on his shoulder. "As long as I can be with you, sex doesn't matter to me." She smiled at him, hoping he'd understand. She certainly wouldn't turn him down if he wanted to, she'd more than happily accept that offer. But she wouldn't push. She'd wait for him to be ready.

"Ya mean that?" Daryl asked quietly.

"Of course." Carol smiled. She thought for a moment, deciding whether or not to let her feelings for him out. She loved him, probably more than she ever loved any man. But what if he didn't love her back? It might scare him away. She couldn't stand losing him.

But what if there was a chance he loved her back?

She decided to take that chance. Hoping that he felt the same way. "Daryl." She looked into his eyes. "I... I love you."

Daryl was taken aback by her comment. She loved him? Now he felt even worse about the entire situation. He couldn't even offer her anything. He couldn't even give her what she probably wanted. The only thing he could say, was that he loved her back. But he wasn't able to find the courage to say it. He felt like such an idiot right now.

His silence said it all for her. He didn't love her. She used all she had to fight back the tears. "Sorry." She whispered, crawling into bed. Foolish mistake she made.

"What are ya sorry for?" Daryl asked, watching her crawl under the covers. She just shook her head. Damn it. He fucked up for the hundredth time. He slipped under the covers and moved closer to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and rested his chin on her arm. "Carol, ya don't gotta be sorry 'bout it." He leaned forward, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I love ya to..."

He waited for her reaction. She moved so she was on her back, staring up at him. It looked like she had tears in her eyes. Did he fuck up again? Damn it, he couldn't do anything right. He was just a royal fuck up. He was caught off guard when she pulled him down by his shirt and crashed her lips against his.

She broke the kiss, but kept her lips barely an inch away from his. "Are you sure?" Her breath was hot against his lips, and it turned him on. He captured her lips again, only pulling away to catch his breath.

"Ain't never been more sure in my life." Daryl said, returning to her lips. It was like a drug. He had it once, and he needed it again. He was addicted to her. He savored the taste of her, and moved to her neck. When he nipped her skin, she made a quiet sound. He wasn't quite sure what it meant, so he stopped, and looked at her. Her eyes were closed.

"Daryl... Don't stop." She whined, and he smirked. As he continued to litter her neck with soft kisses, she grabbed his hand. He didn't know what she was doing. She guided his hand along her body, and placed it on her breast. Not wanting to overwhelm him, she made sure it was above the shirt. He froze for a moment, not entirely sure what to do. He really enjoyed the way it felt underneath his hand. If she didn't stop this, he would really need a cold shower.

Luckily, it hadn't gone past that point. He kept his hand there until they finally stopped kissing. He rolled onto his back, and she snuggled up to his side, her arm draping over his chest.

They said goodnight to each other, and she quickly fell asleep. Daryl stayed awake a little longer, just thinking, as he normally did. His main thought was that he better man up soon, because he wasn't going to be able to control himself much longer. She was getting harder and harder to resist. Each time he kissed her, it just added to the already burning fire. What she did today, nearly pushed him over the edge. He really wanted her, more than anything, but he was afraid he would be terrible at it and she would leave him for it. That was one thing he couldn't handle. He sighed, hopefully soon he could gather the courage.

_**A/N: More shortness, and this is sort of just filler. I have plans for twenty. :D And tomorrow, I shall be sad about my freedom being gone. So bare with me. Love you all! R&R lovelies!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.**_


	20. Chapter 20

**One Night**

**Chapter 20**

_**A/N: Okay! Oh my gosh! I'm so, so SO sorry I've taken so long to write this chapter! It's been what, two weeks or more since my last update?! I'm so sorry! School started, and I just couldn't be bothered to write this. Procrastination is a horrible thing as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 20! So sorry again!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol sat outside with Beth, scrubbing the bloodstains out of everyone's clothes. It was a little challenging, but they were managing. Carl was sitting on the swing with Judith, listening with fascination as she babbled away. Carol always wondered what babies talked about when they went on and on. It was always like they were telling a story, and it was amazing.

She looked around, making sure no one else was around. She was searching for Maggie, hoping she wasn't anywhere near them. Confirming that she was no where to be seen, she turned to Beth. "Can I tell you something Beth? And you have to promise not to tell anyway."

"Sure." Beth smiled, looking up.

Earlier, her and Daryl had decided to tell one person each about their relationship. She was tired of keeping it secret, but she understood that Daryl didn't want to have everyone know. So, they decided they would tell someone they trust that would keep it secret. Daryl decided to tell Rick, because he trusted Rick the most, aside from her. She chose Beth.

"I don't really know how else to say it," Carol started. "So I'll just say it flat out. Me and Daryl are together." She stated.

"Really?!" Beth said a little louder than she should've. "Sorry." She apolagized. "But are you serious? You two are finally an item? Oh this is great! Have you kissed yet? Is he good at it? How long has this been going on?" Beth rambled on.

"Woah." Carol held up her hands, trying to calm the girl. "First off, I don't see why any of what you asked is your buisness, but since you seem very excited I guess I'll answer a few questions. But everything that we discuss right now, you can't say to anyone. Especially your sister. We don't want Maggie or Glenn knowing yet, because we don't need the teasing. And I know Daryl wouldn't be able to handle that, and I don't want to have to pull Daryl off of Glenn, okay?" Beth nodded. "Now, one at a time with the questions." Carol chuckled.

"Okay, uhm, first off, how long as this been going on?" Beth asked as her first question. She had a lot of questions in her mind right now.

"Around when we first got here, I guess." Carol smiled a little.

"Aw, so it's been going on for a while then?" Beth grinned. "So, have you kissed yet?"

Carol laughed at her question. Just like a teenager, too. Wanting all the details. "Yes."

"Well, how is he?" Beth nudged Carol.

"Why should I tell you if he's good or not?" Carol asked, shaking her head. Of course he was good. More than good actually. Fantastic might be a better statement.

"Because I asked! And come on, it's not a hard question. Either he is or he isn't." Beth's smile widened.

"Yes, he's good." Carol chuckled.

"Have you two... You know?" Beth asked.

Carol didn't expect that question from Beth. She felt heat flood her face. "No, we haven't." She turned her attention back to the laundry.

"Really?" Beth seemed shocked.

"That's enough talking about it." Carol had to change the conversation. She had answered enough questions.

* * *

Daryl glanced around awkwardly, hoping no one else was around. Thankfully, Glenn and Maggie were on watch. He figured Hershel was in the "living room" as they called it. Michonne had wandered off out back where everyone else was. So it was just him and Rick in the kitchen. He had told Rick he wanted to talk to him, and when they got to somewhere private, he couldn't get the words out of his mouth.

"Are you sure you wanted to speak with me?" Rick asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter.

"Wanted to tell ya somethin'... And I don't want anyone else knowin'..." Daryl chewed on his thumbnail.

"Alright." Rick said, waiting for him to continue.

"Well... Me and Carol..." Daryl didn't really want to say they were dating, because that wasn't exactly the right term anymore. He also didn't want to say boyfriend and girlfriend, he just hated those words.

"Are together, right?" Daryl looked up at him then. Had he known? How the fuck could anyone have known, they were secretive, and kept their moments in the privacy of their own room.

"Ya knew?" Daryl asked.

"I kind of guessed." Rick chuckled. "You two obviously care a lot for each other. I was starting to wonder when it would finally happen. I figured you would've gotten together back at the prison, but I guess I was wrong." He smiled, and placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "Don't worry Daryl, I'll keep your secret. Especially from Glenn and Maggie. I know they can be quite the teasers."

"Thanks man." Daryl nodded. And with that, their conversation was over. No questions, no pestering. Just how Daryl wanted it.

* * *

"Ready?" Carol asked, slinging the rifle over her shoulder. It was their turn for watch. The night shift. After all, she had promised Rick they would take it.

"Guess so." Daryl grabbed his crossbow. "Ya wanna take the left side?" Daryl asked. Carol nodded. "I better grab a chair then. You go on ahead."

"Alright." Carol smiled, and walked out the doors. She headed down to the bench, and sat down. Watch was pretty easy at the home. And she was thankful for that. She heard Daryl dragging one of the dining chairs outside. It was going to be a boring three hours by herself.

* * *

Checking each gun, he made sure there were plenty of bullets. They would have to take care of the walkers that would be around the neighborhood. The rest of the bullets would be saved for the group. He was determined to destroy them all, and let Carol live. Let her survive by herself, and live with the memory of all her friends being killed infront of her. He smirked. That's what she deserves for refusing to tell him. He packed the guns in the truck, and waited for Martinez.

"Martinez, hurry up!" The Governor shouted. "We haven't got all night here!"

"Sorry." He ran up, throwing the last gun in the truck. "We won't be able to drive all the way."

"I know." The Governor nodded. "I picked up a map of the town. I've been looking around, I think our best bet is the home. They wouldn't choose a store, and the houses here are shit. So thats where we go." He put the map away. "Now, let's go. Tonight, we end this." He grinned, and hopped in the truck.

* * *

Carol sighed, and looked towards Daryl. It was so quiet, nothing was happening, and she was bored. It wouldn't matter if they took a little time off, would it? She got up, slinging the rifle over her shoulder, and made her way over to him.

"What are ya doin' here?" Daryl asked, watching her approach. "Ya should be over there on watch."

"It's quiet." Carol replied, placing the rifle on the ground beside him. That way it was still in reach. "I thouht maybe we could have some fun." She smiled a little.

"What kind of fun do ya expect to have outside on watch out in the open?" Daryl asked, staring up at her.

Carol's smiled only grew. She stood infront of him, and then moved closer, straddling his lap. She watched his eyes widen, and she only laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"The fuck ya doin' woman?" He asked, looking around. "Someone could come out at any minute!"

"They're sleeping Daryl." Carol said quietly, and leaned closer to him. Her lips brushed against his. "We can do whatever we want." She whispered into his ear. She felt him shudder.

"Damn you woman." Daryl growled, quickly finding her lips. She knew how to work him, how to make him give in. She knew how to do a lot of things when it came to him.

She moved away from his lips, much to his disappointment, and started trailing kisses along his jaw and down his neck. Damn this woman, she was good. He just wished he had better self control, because this simple act was making him hard. He hated that about himself, the littlest things turned him on.

She grinned as she placed a quick kiss on his lips. "See, you're enjoying this." Carol could feel his erection through his pants, and it made her happy. What she was doing had an effect on him, and she took great joy in that. She didn't dare do what she had the very first time she kissed him, because she didn't want to embarrass him again.

Daryl gripped her hips tightly, pulling her closer. His length pressing harder against her. She let out a moan at the sudden feeling. Things were definately heating up. Nevermind watch, she wanted to take him back inside and to the bedroom. "Daryl-"

"What do we have here." They both knew that voice. Carol jumped off Daryl, grabbing her gun. Daryl grabbed his crossbow, and aimed it at The Governor. "Two love birds making out in the moonlight during watch. And I thought after all we went through, you'd come back to me." He smirked.

Carol wanted to shoot him right now, but the two other men prevented her from doing so. How had they gotten inside anyway? Too afraid to turn her head, she simply glanced over at the gate. The chain was on the ground, obviously cut with something. She tried to form a plan in her head, some kind of distraction. It hit her then. She could use what he just said to her advantage. She glanced at Daryl, and said barely above a whisper, "I have a plan."

Daryl kept his crossbow aimed, but he heard her whisper. He wouldn't do anything to acknowledge it, fearing that The Governor would catch on.

"Well? Is this where it finally ends?" The Governor asked, grinning.

"You're right." Carol said. "About what you said earlier. I have been thinking about you, a lot." Take a page from your own book. She set her gun on the ground, and walked over to him. She stood very close to him. She really hated this, but she knew what she was doing. She had him distracted, and he failed to notice the knife behind her back. "I really shouldn't have left you." She placed her free hand on his cheek. If only she could dig her nails into his skin and make him bleed. "Will you ever forgive me?" She knew he was thinking, and that's when she slowly wrapped her other arm around his waist, and jammed the blade into his back.

He let out a cry of pain and stumbled backwards. The other men didn't do a thing, only stepped back. She knew then, they wouldn't be a threat. She took this moment to tackle him to the ground. "That was for raping me, you sick bastard." She cursed, and then stabbed the blade into his heart. She knew she had a few seconds before it finally stopped, so she'd be able to get the last word in. "That was for Andrea!" And last, but not least, "And this, is for Merle!" She screamed, bringing the knife down and driving it into his skull.

* * *

Daryl could not believe what he was seeing. Carol had walked up to him, sweet talking him. Then, out of the blue, she used her knife, the one he'd given her, and stabbed him in the back. He thought that Martinez would step in, but he only moved out of the way. Then, she stabbed him in the heart. And last she stabbed him in the brain. The whole scene had his mind reeling. But what really struck him, was the last one. When she said Merle's name, that she did it for him, it tugged at his heart. Hell, she didn't even like Merle, and she saved the last one for him.

This only made his love for her stronger.

Aside from that, the whole scene, seeing her so badass, turned him on even more. She was fearless, and had taken revenge like they had all wanted to. He didn't even care that he didn't get to kill the asshole, just seeing her so determined made him crazy.

"Holy fuck." Was all Daryl could say. He dropped his crossbow and rushed over to Carol. He helped her up off the ground. She had a blank stare as she looked at the now lifeless body that she had just killed. He couldn't imagine what she was going through, after all, she had never killed a person before. But damn was he proud of her. He led her over to the chair and made her sit down.

He glanced down at the body once more before turning his attention to the two men. The larger black man seemed shocked, but Martinez didn't. "Now what are ya gonna do?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Maybe we'll go back to that prison. After all, we know the people there." He looked towards the fence. "We'll take the body off your hands. Probably toss him out on the road later, leave him to the walkers." The moans of the undead were already starting to get louder as the smell of blood floated through the air. "And don't worry, got extra chain in the truck for your fence."

"Thanks man." Daryl nodded. "Carol, ya stay here. I'm gonna go with Martinez and get the chain." She only looked at him, that blank stare still there. "Mind helpin' me take out some of the walkers?"

"No problem." Martinez nodded. "We take out the walkers, and we'll go get the truck. Parked it a few streets down. I'll drive around back here and give you the chain and take the body." The three of them agreed on it, and headed towards the fence.

* * *

"Carol?" Daryl asked, helping her to stand up. "What ya did, I'm proud of ya. Are ya alright?"

"I killed him." She said, looking up at him. "I... I killed him."

"Somethin' we've all wanted to do. Group is gonna be proud of ya." Daryl gave her a small smile, trying to reassure her. "Ya didn't do nothin' wrong. Ya did fuckin' great." He placed a small kiss on the corner of her lips. That seemed to snap her out of whatever she had fallen into.

"Really?" Carol smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her hips.

Daryl pulled her closer, and closed the gap between them. "Bein' honest, ya really turned me on back there." He mumbled against her lips.

"Did I?" Carol pulled away from him. She grinned and leaned in closer. She pressed her lips against his ear. "Why don't you go wake Glenn and Maggie up for their shift. I'll meet you in the bedroom." She slung the rifle over her shoulder and walked away, smirking as she entered the home.

* * *

Daryl stood out there for a moment longer. He tried processing what she said. Their shift didn't end for atleast another hour, but obviously she had different plans. Maybe tonight he would man up. He grinned a little and headed inside.

Quietly, so he wouldn't wake the others, he made his way down the hallway towards Glenn's room. He lightly knocked on the door, and waited. A few seconds later, a very tired Glenn appeared in the doorway. "Daryl?" He asked, rubbing at his eye. "What are you doing here?"

"Time for watch kid." Daryl chuckled.

"Michonne said she'd take our watch. Maggie hasn't been sleeping well lately." Glenn covered his mouth with his hand, trying to stop a yawn. "Go wake her up."

"Alright." Daryl nodded, walking back down the hall to where Michonne's room was. Before he could even knock, the door opened, and Michonne stepped past him, sword in hand. She didn't say a word as she walked down the hallway and disappeared from sight. He just shrugged. He'd tell them The Governor was no longer a threat tomorrow. Right now, he had something else on his mind.

* * *

He put his hand on the door knob, and took a deep breath. He had to calm down. Daryl opened the door, and stepped inside the bedroom, locking the door behind him. Didn't need any interruptions. Carol was sitting on the bed, staring up at him. If he wanted to do this, he better do it now before he lost his courage.

"Did you wake up Glenn and Maggie?" Carol asked as he made his way towards the bed.

"Mhm." Daryl nodded, leaning down and capturing her lips. It didn't take her long to respond. She gently pulled him down, and he hovered over her.

Daryl could already feel his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to do this, but he was starting to get nervous and self concious. What if he was bad at it? He probably couldn't please her the way she wanted. The way she expected.

Her hands moved to the front of his shirt. She started to undo the buttons, sliding his shirt off and throwing it on the floor. Her hands roamed over his chest, and moved to his back. She gently traced over one of his scars with her nail, causing a shiver to run down his spine. Obviously, she had an idea of what to do.

He, however, had no idea what to do next. His heart was racing. Slowly, he ran his hand down the side of her body, stopping at the end of her shirt. He gripped the fabric, and pulled away from her. He wasn't sure if this was the right move or not. Daryl looked down at her, waiting for confirmation. She gave him a small nod, and moved into a sitting position. He lifted the piece of clothing off her body, and it fell to the floor. He was in complete awe as he looked her over. Her body was amazing.

The longer he stared at her, the more he realized he couldn't do this. He didn't know what to do, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself. He looked away from her, and moved to the edge of the bed. He put his face in his hands. He was such a failure.

* * *

Carol was a little hurt when he moved away from her. She knew she wasn't that great to look at, but she didn't think it would drive him away. She moved up behind him, wrapping her arms around him. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I can't do this." Daryl mumbled.

"Is it... Because of how I look?" She closed her eyes, waiting for his answer. She needed him to tell her the truth.

Daryl raised his head, and turned around to face her. "Fuck no it ain't how ya look." Daryl was shocked she would even think that. "Carol, ya ain't the reason. Believe me, you're fuckin' beautiful. It's just... I can't do this. I've never... I don't know what I'm doin', okay?" He was angry at himself.

"Then let me." Carol whispered. She understood that he was lacking in sexual experiences. "Only if you want to." She promised him, she'd wait until he was comfortable.

Daryl thought about it for a moment. He really wanted her. He nodded.

Carol smiled. "If you get uncomfortable or anything, you tell me and I'll stop." She told him. He nodded again, and moved back onto the bed. She knew she had to be careful, she didn't want to scare him away. Before moving towards him, she decided to slide her jeans off. She kicked them away, and crawled over to him. She reached forward, and gripped the waistband of his pants. She looked to him, and he didn't protest.

After his pants were off, she straddled his lap. She knew she was doing something right, because there was no hiding his erection. She leaned down, pressing her lips against his. She didn't let it last long though, and pulled away from him. He followed her, capturing her lips again and wrapping his arms around her waist.

He kissed her jaw, and all down her neck. He had never gone any further, but he intended to change that right now. He kissed the skin just above her bra.

"You said you didn't know what you were doing... Well you are doing just fine right now..." Carol breathed.

Daryl smirked a little at her comment. His hands moved up her back, and he grabbed the back of her bra. He tried to unhook the three little hooks, but he couldn't. He was getting frustrated. Carol reached back and grabbed his hands, moving them back to her waist. She unclasped it with ease. She didn't remove her bra, but let him do it instead. She felt the fabric slide off her, leaving her completely exposed.

Daryl couldn't help but stare at the newly exposed skin. She was perfect. He leaned forward, placing his lips on her breast. He felt her body tense. He wrapped his tongue around her nipple, and she moaned. He gently sucked on the delicate skin before moving onto the other one. She threw her head back as he did the same actions.

He tugged at her underwear, and she knew what he wanted. She pushed him back down on the bed before letting her underwear slide down her legs. Her heart was beating fast as she started to pull at his boxers.

She returned to his lips. When he kissed her back, she slowly sunk onto him. Her body tensed as he slid into her.

Daryl was overwhelmed at the feeling of her around him. He felt her walls stretching to fit him. He fought to keep himself from losing it right there. He had never experienced a feeling like this before. That feeling only intensified as she started to move, slowly. He had no control over the groan that escaped.

It had been a long time since Carol had sex, and it had been far from pleasurable. She had never experienced a good feeling when she was with him. This, however, was different. She truely loved Daryl, and he loved her too. What she was experiencing right now, was the best feeling she had ever had in her life.

She started to move faster, a moan escpaing each time he went further inside her.

Carol was never one to be verbal during sex, but she couldn't help it. Never before had it felt this good. "Oh yes..." She said barely above a whisper. He was nearing her sweet spot. No one had ever managed to get there before.

Daryl gripped her hips as she moved. He wasn't going to last much longer. He felt her body shaking. He groaned again, louder this time.

Carol couldn't hold on any longer. She cried out in pleasure as they finished together. She collapsed onto his chest, panting heavily. She couldn't believe everything that just happened. She had only dreamed about it, and even in her dreams it hadn't been as good as it was. She rolled off of him, and laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

* * *

A few minutes of silence past as both of them finally controlled their breathing. She turned her head to look at him, wondering what was running through his mind.

Daryl met her eyes, still trying to process the recent events. It felt like he was dreaming.

She was dying to know what he was thinking. "Well?" She finally asked, shifting her position so she was facing him. She used her elbow to support her.

Daryl really didn't know what to say after that. "Holy fuck." Those were the only words he was able to form.

"Is that a good thing?" Carol asked, chuckling a little.

"It's a great thing." Daryl smirked a little.

"Well I'm glad." Carol smiled. She yawned, realizing now how tired she was. She sat up, and reached for the covers that had been kicked to the edge of the bed. She pulled them up over the both of them, and snuggled closer to Daryl. She pecked his lips before resting her head on his chest. "Goodnight, Daryl." She whispered, closing her eyes.

"I love ya." Daryl had said before he could process the thought. He said he loved her before, but he hadn't really said it much after that.

"I love you too." She smiled. Not long after, her breathing became steady, and he knew she was asleep. He wrapped one arm around her, sighing contently. He was glad he let her convince him to keep going. This marked the best night of his life.

_**A/N: He. Hehe. Hehehehe. I hope you liked that. Again, I'm super sorry for the wait! R&R lovelies.~**_


	21. Chapter 21

**One Night**

**Chapter 21**

_**A/N: I hadn't necessarily knew where to go in the future, but I found out what to do. I used to be against the idea, but now I've come around to liking it. :) Hope you enjoy.**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol yawned as she sat up. Instantly she felt a chill hit her skin. It was then she remembered she was completely naked. She grabbed the blanket and covered herself. She looked down at Daryl, who was still asleep. She smiled a little, leaning down to kiss his forehead. As she pulled away, he grabbed her, pulling her down to his lips. She moaned as his tongue slid into her mouth.

Finally, Carol pulled away. "Good morning to you too." She chuckled. She slid out of bed, quickly grabbing her clothes. As she zipped up her jeans, she noticed him staring at her. He hadn't moved from his spot on the bed. "What?"

"Admirin' the view." Daryl smirked. Carol just rolled her eyes as she pulled her shirt over her head.

She grabbed his clothes and threw them at him. "Get dressed. The others will surely be awake by now." She sat down on the bed.

Daryl shrugged, pulling on his pants.

"Well I'm going to go start on breakfast." Carol stood up. Daryl just nodded, and she left the room.

* * *

"Glenn, don't be stupid." Maggie whispered as the two of them walking into the dining area.

"Don't worry Maggie." Glenn grinned as he sat down across from Daryl.

"I mean it." She elbowed him.

The two of them stopped as Carol walking into the room, setting the powdered eggs and squirrel meat on the table. She took her usual seat beside Daryl. Glenn watched the two carefully, trying not to smirk. He was going to wait until everyone came in the room before saying anything.

Slowly, the other members of the group made their way to the table. Beth and Hershel first, then Rick with Judith and Carl, and then Michonne. Everyone was here. Perfect.

"So, how was watch last night guys?" Glenn asked, looking at the two across from him. Maggie gave him a warning look, but he ignored it.

"It was alright." Carol had noticed the warning glance from Maggie. What exactly was about to play out?

"Uhuh." Glenn's grin only got bigger. "Must have been pretty quiet out there. I mean it would have to be for you to turn in so early."

Daryl glanced up at the man, his eyes narrowing. "We didn't turn in early." Carol made up an excuse. Daryl felt everyone's eyes on them, and it was making him angry. Why didn't the korean mind his own damn buisness.

"Glenn." Maggie glared at him. "Don't."

"Well, all I know is, that must have been some dream you were having. Or should I say, both of you were having. Seems a little strange, don't you think?" Glenn smirked. Carol's face started to turn bright red and she looked down at her plate. "Must have really been something, the way you were screaming." Carol just wanted to run away.

"The fuck you talkin' 'bout." Daryl growled. If Glenn didn't shut his mouth, Daryl would shut it for him.

"Heard you both loud and clear last night. Especially Carol. Even Maggie and I aren't that loud." There were a few chuckles at the table.

Daryl wasn't going to just sit here and be humiliated by the korean. He stood up, stalking off towards his room. "I'm goin' huntin'." He called angrily, and disappeared. Carol knew he would never want to be seen with her again. She sighed, standing up and walking away before anyone saw the tears fall. It had been going so well between them, until this morning. Was Daryl really that embarrassed about what they did? They would find out sooner or later. She should have known it was too good to last. She closed the bedroom door, and buried herself under the sheets, the pillow absorbing all her tears.

* * *

"You really know how to push things, don't you." Maggie smacked Glenn on the back of the head. "Do you even realize what you just did? You know Daryl, he's probably going to avoid her for days now! You just cost them their entire relationship! It's taken them so long to finally get together, and as soon as they do, you go ahead and screw it all up! Damn it Glenn!" Maggie shouted before storming off.

"You've really done it now, son." Hershel sighed.

"Wait... I'm confused." Carl looked around at the others. "What happened?"

"It's nothing son." Rick dismissed Carl's question. He huffed, crossing his arms. "You know you're going to have to apolagize to the both of them, right Glenn?" Rick stared at the man. He just nodded. "Next time, keep your jokes to yourself. You know how sensitive they both are."

"I know." Glenn groaned. "When Daryl gets back I'll talk to him. But you have to come with me in case he tries to kill me."

"Deal." Rick nodded. No doubt Daryl would attempt to kill the kid.

* * *

Daryl carried the string of squirrels on his shoulder back to his bike. He had been able to clear his mind a little bit. His blood would probably boil as soon as he saw the korean. Glenn had no right to say that shit. Sure, he had poked fun at him a few times, but he didn't down right embarrass the kid. Hell, Glenn even joked along with them.

He hopped on the bike, and sped down the highway. The forest was maybe a ten minute ride from the home, so he would be back in no time. He had been gone a few hours now. The sun was already setting. Carol would probably be making dinner by now. Maybe he could sneak into the kitchen to see her. Everyone knew about them now anyway, didn't really matter if he was caught with her. But he still didn't really like the public display of affection. It sickened him everytime he saw Glenn and Maggie together.

Another thought floated into Daryl's mind. They still hadn't told the group about The Governor. Hell, everyone was probably still worried that he would strike at any moment. No one knew that Carol had taken care of it all. She was so brave that night. He smirked to himself. She sure was a fighter, his woman. He wasn't able to show her how proud he was of her, though. He chickened out half way through. Fuck, he was such an idiot. Maybe he could make it up to her tonight.

As he pulled up to the gate, Rick was waiting. He pulled open the gate, allowing him to ride in. He stepped off the bike, grabbing the squirrels. He saw Glenn standing a few feet away, and his anger came back in a flash. Glenn must have sensed it, because he started to back away. Daryl dropped the squirrels onto the ground, and ran at Glenn. He tackled him to the ground, and managed to get one hit in before Rick yanked him off.

"Daryl! You need to calm down!" Rick said, keeping a firm hold of him.

"Look, Daryl. I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean anything by it, honestly!" Glenn tried to defend himself.

"Ya better be fuckin' sorry!" Daryl shouted, getting out of Rick's grasp.

"Daryl." Rick warned. "I don't think Glenn is the one for you to worry about."

"The fucks that supposed to mean." Daryl turned to Rick.

"Carol has been locked in your room since you left." Rick said quietly.

Daryl stopped for a moment. Why would she confine herself to their room? She wasn't normally one to hold a grudge with embarrassment. She usually got over it quite quickly. It was one quality he wished he had as well. "What she do that for?" Daryl asked, hoping Rick would know the answer.

"You know how she is, Daryl. She's very fragile when it comes to this sort of thing. I know, she's gotten much stronger lately, but the past still haunts her." Rick placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "She probably thinks you don't want her. The way you stormed off like that, probably made it seem like you were embarrassed about the two of you." Daryl looked down at the ground. He really knew how to fuck things up. "I suggest you go talk to her. Don't worry about watch or anything. We'll take care of your shift. Right now you have to go make it right with your woman." Rick gave him a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Rick." Daryl nodded, and turned to the korean. "Ya fuckin' say a word about anythin' between me and Carol it will be the last words ya say, got it?" Glenn nodded, his eyes wide. "Good." Daryl huffed, heading for the doors. He passed by Carl, who stopped at the sight of him. "What?" Daryl gave the kid a strange look.

"No one told me what you all were talking about. I was only half listening this morning. What was so interesting?" Carl looked very curious.

"Maybe when you're older kid." Daryl didn't have time for this shit. He didn't look back as he headed down the hall towards their room. Slowly, he opened the door. He didn't see Carol on the bed. He didn't see her anywhere in the room. The bathroom door was closed, however. He pressed his ear to the door, and heard the shower going. He sighed, and knocked on the door.

The shower turned off, and he heard the curtains draw back. Finally, the door opened a little, and Carol poked her head out. He could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were a little red. "I uh, wanted to talk to ya." He shifted nervously. What the fuck was he supposed to say in a situation like this?

Carol closed the door again and grabbed a tower. She wrapped it around her body, and stepped out of the bathroom. "What did you want to talk about?" Her voice was quiet, and a little shaky. She cursed herself for showing her weakness.

"'Bout earlier." Daryl took a step closer to her. "Just want ya to know, didn't storm off cause of ya. I was too pissed off to be around anybody."

"I understand if you're embarrassed about me Daryl..." Carol said, her voice just above a whisper. "I'm not exactly a prize you want to show off."

Damn it, she was so complicated. He hated that she was so self concious about herself. She was strong, she was sweet, and she was fucking beautiful. There is not one part about her that is bad. He sighed, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. He kissed her softly, and pulled away, still keeping his face close to hers. "Ya listen to me. There ain't one thing about ya I don't like. I ain't embarrassed about ya. If anythin', the one who should be embarrassed is you. I ain't nothin' special."

"You are to me." Carol reached up, placing her hand on his cheek. He leaned in to her gentle touch. "I'm never going to be embarrassed about you, Daryl."

"I love ya woman, ya know that right?" Daryl gave her a small smile.

"I love you too." Carol smiled, pressing her forehead to his.

"Don't ever think I don't. Got it?" Daryl looked her in the eye. She nodded. "Good." He backed away from her, walking back towards the door. He saw her start to head back into the bathroom. "Hold it." He said. She stopped, and watched him, a questioning look on her face. "I ain't finished with ya." He locked the door. Hopefully no one would disturb them, or talk shit later. He wasn't afraid to beat their asses.

Daryl made his way back over to her, capturing her lips with his. He started pushing her back towards the bed.

"What are you doing?" She asked against his lips.

"Showin' my woman just how much she means to me." He quickly got rid of his shirt before gently leaning her back on the bed. He felt a little more bold this time around. Probably because he knew exactly what to do to make her scream. He kissed all down her neck, smirking as she squirmed underneath him.

He tugged at the towel that was loosely wrapped around her body. As the towel slid off her body and onto the bed, he grinned. He was still amazed at how beautiful she was. He placed kisses all along her body.

"Wait, are you sure you want to do this now?" Carol asked.

Daryl didn't answer her. Instead, he captured her breast with his mouth, swirling his tongue around her hard nipple. She moaned loudly, her eyes closing as he continued his assult.

Daryl didn't want to wait any longer. He wanted his woman now. He quickly threw his pants on the ground. He kissed her lips hard before lowering himself into her. She gasped against his lips. He moved slowly, each thrust sending an overwhelming sensation through his body.

Carol however was getting impatient at his slow movements. She wanted all of him now. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him hard into her. She cried out at the intense pleasure that ripped through her. He seemed to get the message, because he quickened his pace. She was quickly losing control as each movement became more desperate. She was about to go over the edge. She pulled Daryl's lips to hers, trying to stop the scream that threatened to escape.

* * *

Both of them were out of breath as he rolled off of her. She turned to face him, placing a lazy kiss on his lips. She honestly didn't care about anything else right now, she was just happy to be with the man she loved.

Unfortunately, they both knew they couldn't stay like this. It wasn't even supper time yet. Carol still had to make the meal and wash the dishes afterwards. She would have to end up helping Beth with Judith. She sighed, drawing circles on his chest with her finger. "We have to go back out there." Her voice was quiet.

Daryl let out an annoyed sigh. "Yeah, I know." He didn't want to, but he knew he had to. "Still gotta skin them squirrels."

"Come on then." Carol sat up. "If we stay like this any longer someone is bound to come find us."

"They need to mind their own fuckin' buisness." Daryl muttered, reaching for his clothes.

"You know they won't." Carol let out a soft laugh before digging through one of the drawers to find some clothes.

_**A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long. I literally had the majority of this chapter written, I just had to finish off the ending. I never got around to it. I'm sorry for making you all wait! R&R lovelies!**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_


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